Woman to skateboard 700 miles for charity
A PLYMOUTH woman is planning to skateboard 700 miles through Scotland to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Laura Hatwell, 27, already holds the women's world record for distance skating in 24 hours. Now she's planning to skate from the far north of Shetland to Berwick on the English border, on her beloved longboard.
Laura has been planning a big trip on her board for three years, since giving up her job for a TV company to support a major skateboarding expedition in Australia.
"I knew I was always going to do my own little trip sometime and that was very good practice," she said.
"But I can't do something like this just for myself. You can't skate that far without having a strong reason to do it."
Laura looked long and hard for a good cause to support, and decided on Help for Heroes after the boyfriend of a good friend of hers, Marine Travis Mackin, was killed fighting in Afghanistan.
Laura said: "Seeing the hurt that this caused to her, the families involved, and the feeling it evoked from the people of my home city, Plymouth, I knew I had to do something."
She added that her grandfather served as a Royal Marine in Orkney during the War, which tied in with her trip.
Laura took up long boarding as a way of escaping from her high pressure media job.
She said: "When I first got on a board I fell off straight away, but it's addictive. You feel the freedom of being able to push yourself along."
Eventually, she escaped completely, quitting work to skate.
More recently she's been working as an ice steward at Plymouth Pavilions, but is giving that up too for her six-week expedition.
Laura is being supported by Cotswold Outdoors and Plymouth skate shop Prime Deluxe.
They have helped with a low-riding longboard to suit her 5'3" frame, and a lot of very light equipment.
On her trip, Laura will carry just a 12 litre rucksack weighing 12 pounds.
"Being able to travel fast and light gives you the freedom to go anywhere," she said.
Laura hopes that her trip will be sociable, hooking up with skating communities along the route and showing others that not all skaters are anti-social teenagers.
But she won't be sorry to return home to Plymouth - she says it's one of the best Skateboarding cities in Britain.
To sponsor Laura, visit the website http://www.justigiving.com/northseaskate.
ends
5 Comments
by Prime Delux, Plymouth
Monday, June 22 2009, 6:55PM
“Good luck Laura!!!”
by Elizabeth, Plymouth
Monday, June 22 2009, 4:31PM
“Go Laura!
This sounds like a really great thing to do, what an adventure and raising money too!
Hopefully this will not only raise cash for a very deserving charity but also encourage others to adventure off somewhere!”
by Laura Hatwell, Plymouth
Monday, June 22 2009, 3:13PM
“That address should read: http://www.northseaskate.co.uk
...I blame the gremlins!”
by Laura Hatwell, Plymouth
Monday, June 22 2009, 2:11PM
“Hi there, whilst I'm grateful to the Herald that the story is up here, there's a few things that I need to correct:
a) Firstly, I did actually ask for a little more anonymity with regards to any naming of individuals with regards to the charity side of this, out of respect for those involved.
b) I'm not workshy! This story makes it seem like I run from jobs! I am returning to Plymouth in September to begin training as a secondary school teacher, something I have waited a long time to be in the right position to do. This trip will be a confidence builder for me in preparation of this.
c) I'm taking a 33 litre rucksack that weighs 12lbs, not including water and food. A 12 litre rucksack on a solo mission, that's asking for trouble!
d) As there is a typo above in my fundraising page, I now urge readers to visit http://www.northseaskate.co.ukto find out the latest news on my trip, which has a link to my fundraising page all set up :D”
by Hermes (and Thelemia), Plymouth
Friday, June 19 2009, 1:31PM
“I believe;”