Professional skateboarder Margielyn Didal, who rose from humble beginnings, believes that anyone can succeed in skateboarding as long as they put their heart into it and have the right support system, like the skateboarding community. Speaking at the Exponential Tour presented by Converge Super Fiber X at the Talisay City Skate Park, Didal emphasized that skateboarding is for everyone, regardless of status, gender, or age.
Inclusivity in Skateboarding
Didal highlighted the welcoming nature of the skateboarding community. "In skateboarding, you have a family and someone that will teach you, not just tricks but also in life. That's how the community of skateboarding works," she said. Sharing her own experience, she added, "I started without my own skateboard. I just watched and the skate community itself will help you. You can borrow boards and ask more experienced skaters to teach you. It does not take much. You just join the local skate community and go to parks and spots. You can learn and if you want to progress you need dedication and prayers."
Career Highlights and Giving Back
The 27-year-old Didal is one of the biggest stars of skateboarding in the Philippines and the newest brand ambassador of Converge Super Fiber X. After the official opening of the event, she took a spin around the park and performed tricks that impressed fans. Later, she joined the skateboarding competition. Didal competed in the 2020 Olympics, finishing in seventh place. She is also an Asian Games gold medalist and a two-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist. Now at the pinnacle of her career, Didal never forgot her roots and is giving back through her organization, Push Philippines. "We have Push Philippines, a community run by my friend in London who is also a Filipino. We grow and help other young skaters by gathering used and brand-new boards from other countries and we bring them here through Balikbayan boxes. We not only give them here in Cebu but also to other parts of the Philippines. We want to help the youth in remote areas that don't have access to skateboarding," she explained.
Supporting Skateboarding Nationwide
Skateboarding is not a sport that typically receives government support, so Didal is taking matters into her own hands to elevate the sport across the country. "That is what we are doing with the Push Philippines donation drive, and we ourselves are the ones who will support skateboarding," she concluded.
