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鈥痟ave been selected in the skateboarding team for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, including record-breaking Arisa Trew and gold-medal qualifier Chloe Covell. It鈥檚 only the second time skateboarding has been included in the Olympics after debuting at the Tokyo Games in 2021, proving the sport鈥檚 continuing rise in popularity and its accessibility to wider audiences, in Australia and globally.

鈥淪kateboarding has gone from being a youth and subculture activity to now being included in the Olympic Games,鈥痑nd we will see Australians on the podium this year. The girls are outstanding and have been breaking records,鈥� Dr Willing said.

A female skateboarder and co-founder of聽, Dr Willing only started skating when she was 41, after finishing her PhD. At the University of Sydney, she co-leads a team of female researchers investigating how to make skateboarding culture more inclusive for people typically excluded due to gender or sexuality.

鈥淚ntegrating women鈥檚 skating and skateboarders into the public conversation, like the Olympics is doing, is important,鈥� Dr Willing said. 鈥淏eing a skateboarder, I am closely connected to the skating community. Lots of young girls and marginalised people are attracted to skateboarding due to its creativity, permission to take risks and lack of set rules or fees, things that may create barriers in other sports.鈥�

Emphasising the need for a supportive community where all types of skaters can co-exist is a crucial element of Dr Willing鈥檚 research.

鈥淢y work at the University of Sydney has women at the forefront of research on social inclusion and skateboarding. My team and I are currently working on a series of interviews with people usually at the margins at skateparks, giving them a voice on where skateboarding should and could be headed.鈥�

Skating has traditionally been dominated by a hyper masculine culture. It can be intimidating, sexist, and come with issues of harassment and violence, as in other subcultures and in some sport more generally. 鈥婤ut Dr Willing鈥檚 new 聽involving artists and designers Dr Sann茅 Mestrom and Associate Professor Lian Loke聽demonstrates skating can be a creative space for play and connection.

鈥淪kateboarding can act as a bridge between different communities and cultures,鈥� Dr Willing said. 鈥淚t can be a vibrant hub of diversity where stereotypes, stigmas and attitudes are challenged. By including girls, women and gender diverse skaters in the skateboarding scene, young people can learn different perspectives and have a wider network of role models. It also opens the door to development opportunities for those who want to be serious about professional skateboarding.鈥�

Providing opportunities for young girls like Arisa and Chloe to excel in sport, both on the global stage and at home in Australia, is paramount. For Dr Willing, opportunity and inclusivity have shaped her story.

鈥淢y first home was an orphanage in Vietnam during the war,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was later flown from Saigon to Sydney by the non-profit World Vision with other Vietnamese children. The very first time I met my new, adoptive family was at Sydney airport. I owe my life to the power of opportunities, and I want to pay it forward.鈥嬧��

Australia is fast becoming one of the world鈥檚 skating powerhouses, but is still building up the infrastructure, policies, and environments where all non-traditional skaters can start skating and flourish. While current community initiatives are making progress, Dr Willing believes we still have a long way to go.

鈥淲e need to ensure girls, women and whoever wants to skate have pathways, and are never held back by things like harassment, discrimination and violence.鈥�

Dr Indigo Willing is a Visiting Fellow in the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC) at the University of Sydney. You can explore more of Dr Willing鈥檚 research on her . Hero image credit: Stefanie Zingsheim.