We are stoked to welcome Atita Verghese to our team of ambassadors! For those of you who don’t know, Atita is a skateboarder from India who has had an impact on the lives of many young people in India over the last few years since she started Skateboarding. Before I tell you how though I will start with her story…
Atita was one of the girls in school who did not necessarily want to be like the boys but she wanted to do everything that they wanted to do, and more. So when she finished school she took skateboarding into her life with open arms and immediately realised the positive effects and potential that it can bring to anyone.
It wasn’t easy however, she used to scratch together enough money to get to and from the skate park every day, wait until the guys with skateboards got tired and then have a go on their boards. This kind of dedication is beyond admirable. Eventually, India based skate company Holystoked saw her determination and blessed her with a skateboard, something neither of them will ever forget.
She now tours with Holystoked, touching the lives of people all over the country. Not only does she spread the message of skateboarding, she has put her hand to building and refurbishing skate parks in the hope that others will find peace and purpose through skateboarding in the same way that she did.
India is not known for its skate parks, so Atita has taken it upon herself to provide opportunity for others to skate by helping with builds. STANLEY is helping Atita to achieve this daunting task by providing her with the tools necessary to build these parks. Welcome aboard the STANLEY team Atita, seems like a match made in heaven - Otherwise known as Extreme HQ.
Atita is the founder of Girl Skate India. She is passionate about gender equality and sees skateboarding as one of the most socially inclusive sports, even though it is predominantly made up of male participants. Atita is especially inspired by the Skateistan movement in Afghanistan, where 40% of Skateistan's skaters are female.
In December 2015, Atita went on tour with a crew of 12 female skateboarders from 9 different countries to four locations across India. They spread the message of self-expression and inclusion that skateboarding has to offer and helped to build a new skate park in Bengaluru.
Keep making the rest of us look bad Atita!