Justin's Journey | Best of 2022

This video contains our collection of the favorites clips of JMAN in 2022.
Our son was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 3. At 5.5 years old, we got him on a skateboard.
Since that time, he has far exceeded the original goal of being able to ride the skateboard on the flat ground of a school playground by Middle School. We never thought that he would progress this far or would continue for this long.
In the last few years, skateboarding has become a form of expression, freedom and belonging for our son. He is able to connect with others in the skateboarding community and express himself through his skateboard.
Through the openness of the skateboarding community, they have accepted him and the way that he rides. As similarly or as differently from anyone else and that "It's ok to be different." The community celebrates his uniqueness.
Through this acceptance, it has given him a sense of belonging, purpose, identity, and confidence.
When we first started going to the skateparks, I think that people must have thought it odd that this strange duo; a crazy middle aged dad and a kid that never spoke a word to anyone suddenly started showing up at the various parks throughout Northern CA in 2013.
In 2022, he has continued with the expression sessions and progressed a bit with more board control and being able to learn a few tricks here and there.
Over the last year, despite being isolated scholastically isolated by Covid, skateboarding has continued to bring him out of his shell and he is connecting more with people in the community. He is now conscientious of what parks he wants to ride on certain days because his friends will be there. Even more grateful is that we were able to not only experience skateboarding together, but also go on trips to Hawaii and a local amusement park with friends.
On day one, we knew ZERO "0" people in the skate community. As skate parents, we were happy to be able to give back to the community in our own small ways...We were able to volunteer once at a SkateMD clinic in November and also organize and host two small clinics for children on the autism spectrum at our local skatepark in May and November. We are humbled that members of the skatepark community came out to volunteer and get these children on skateboards.

[@skating4satori672]

Sorry if you are coming across this video twice as a new video. Uploaded the fixed version as the sound quality was not very good in the first upload.

[@josephdelasierra4890]

Awesome! Looking forward to seeing you all soon in 2023! Those were some amazing footage of him skateboarding and seeing all those different skateparks you have been too! 🤙🏽

[@50PlusSk8r]

Well done man keep up the great work. Carl from the UK!!

[@skating4satori672]

Thanks for checking out the video!