Interview with She Skates Kenya
She Skates Kenya is a grassroots skateboarding community based in Nairobi, Kenya, created to support and celebrate women and girls in skateboarding. The collective provides a space for female skaters to connect, learn, build confidence and push back against the barriers women can face within the skate scene. Through all-girl skate sessions, community events and mentorship, She Skates Kenya is helping to make skateboarding more inclusive while giving more young women the opportunity to find their place on a board.
What was the gap you saw that led you to start She Skates Kenya?
She Skates Kenya was founded in Nairobi to create safe, inclusive spaces while tackling limited resources, including skateboards and mentorship, and the lack of infrastructure such as the absence of a public skatepark, while empowering girls and young women across Kenya to participate equally in action sports.
— Wairimu Mburu (Nemo)
What has surprised you most about how the community has grown?
She Skates Kenya has grown from fewer than 10 participants to over 150 young women across Nairobi, Nakuru, Embu, and Mombasa town, blending skateboarding with wellness practices like yoga, self-defense, and mentorship programs on societal issues affecting women such as sexual assault. Through community outreach like tree planting, and high-attendance beginner workshops, the movement continues to inspire passion, progress, and growing recognition both locally and internationally.
— Cecilia Theuri
What do you think girls' skate communities around the world share in common, despite different contexts?
Girls' skate communities worldwide are bound by one passion, skateboarding. Together, they shatter stereotypes that the sport is only for men, embracing art, self-expression, and inclusivity as their identity. Across cultures and backgrounds, they respect each other's journeys, learning and growing side by side. Most importantly, they create spaces where girls uplift, encourage, and inspire one another while proving that skateboarding is not just a sport, but a movement of empowerment.
— Diana Roy
What feels distinctly Kenyan about your community's experience of skating?
What feels distinctly Kenyan about She Skates Kenya is the strong emphasis on community. She Skates Kenya is built on the spirit of supporting one another, where experienced skaters mentor beginners and everyone is encouraged regardless of their skill level. This reflects the Kenyan value of harambee, working together toward a common goal. Rather than focusing only on competition, the community prioritizes inclusion, friendship, and personal growth.
She Skates Kenya also stands out for the role it plays in challenging gender stereotypes. Skateboarding and roller skating have traditionally been viewed as male-dominated activities in Kenya. By creating a safe and welcoming environment for women and girls, the organization empowers them to confidently occupy public spaces, develop new skills, and redefine what is possible for young women in sport.
Lastly, She Skates Kenya reflects the vibrancy of Kenyan youth culture. Skating is closely connected with music, fashion, photography, art, and storytelling, making each session more than just a sporting activity. It becomes a space for creativity, self-expression, and building meaningful relationships.
— Joy Marion
Could you share a few other members' names and a line or two on what being part of the community means to them?
Sheryl Nanyama: A community is a space where I not only feel safe, but where I feel confident enough to express myself fully, knowing I am being supported unconditionally. She Skates Kenya has created such a space for me, pushing me to be more confident in myself through the strong support system behind me.
Dorcas Mwau: Being part of She Skates Kenya means more than learning tricks—it's about finding belonging, gaining friendships, opportunities, and support, overcoming fear with collective encouragement, and proving that when girls skate together, they build courage, confidence, and a true community.
Munzi Kithome: Being part of this skateboarding community means belonging to a supportive space where shared passion builds connection, encouragement, and growth.
Ruweidha Isaac: For me, being part of She Skates Kenya means finding a space where I can belong without changing who I am, where, even as a hijabi (Muslim) girl in a country with few others skating, I've discovered shared courage, support after every fall, and the confidence that comes from growing together in a community built on inclusivity and strength.
What's a moment from a session or meet-up that best captures the spirit of the group?
One moment that perfectly captures the spirit of our skateboarding community is the Sunday cruises. As the sun begins to set and the evening breeze rolls in, everyone is smiling, laughing, and skating together. There are no competitions or pressures—just friends, boards, and the freedom of the open road. In those moments, skateboarding feels like more than a sport; it feels like pure freedom.
— Spencer Auma
Where would you love to see She Skates Kenya in a few years?
I envision She Skates Kenya becoming globally recognized, fully inclusive community where every girl, regardless of background, can discover and pursue skateboarding, from her first steps on a board to competing at the Olympic level, while building Kenya's first public skatepark and continuing to empower girls with confidence, leadership, and belonging, proving that Kenyan women have a place on the global skateboarding stage.
— Rosaline Mwangi
From Nairobi's Sunday cruises to a growing sisterhood spanning Nakuru, Embu, and Mombasa, She Skates Kenya is proof that a skateboard can carry more than just a rider, it can carry a movement. Rooted in harambee and driven by girls who refuse to shrink themselves, the community continues to grow one workshop, one mentorship, and one fearless first ride at a time, with an Olympic-sized dream and Kenya's first public skatepark on the horizon.