Skateboarding: 'Wear a helmet even if it doesn't look cool!'
- Published
'Falling is part of life', says Sky Brown
Skateboarding can be a great sport to take up but as we saw from 11-year-old skater Sky Brown's accident earlier this year, it can also be dangerous too.
Thankfully Sky was wearing a helmet when she fell but her injuries were still serious enough that she had to be airlifted to hospital in a helicopter.
Now another young skater, is warning others to wear safety helmets, even if it "doesn't look cool", after he almost died in a fall at a skate park.
Sixteen-year-old Sid from Bury St Edmunds, suffered a "catastrophic" head injury after crashing on ramps in July when he was not wearing a helmet.
Sid said he was "alive and happy" as he recovers from his head injury
He said it's not common to wear a helmet in the skateboarding culture because it "messes up your balance" and "it doesn't look cool".
"But now that I have had this injury, I realise that I'd rather not look cool than break my head open again or die even," he said.
Skateboard England says that although there isn't a rule about wearing a helmet, "skateboarding is a dangerous activity and we would always recommend wearing a helmet, as head injuries can result in concussion or death".
Should you also wear knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards for skateboarding?
Skateboard England says: "Pads and wrist guards are recommended for when learning to skateboard, as you may be falling off as part of the 'learning' process."
"Some skateboarders find wearing pads restrictive when street skateboarding, but most transition skateboarders will continue to use pads throughout their lives."
Sid was put into a coma by doctors and spent four weeks in hospital but has now been able to go home.
He said could not fully remember what happened but was trying a new skateboarding trick at the time.
Others have told him a small rock stopped his board and forced him into a ramp.
Sid was injured at the skate park in Bury St Edmunds
The teenager said it was "horrible" when he woke up from the coma, but that he felt grateful to be alive.
He said that, although he has been struggling to come to terms with how little he could do as he recovers, he's happy.
I'm loving everything and I just want to spread awareness about this because I never thought a little rock would cause this much injury.
Sid returned home after a month in hospital
Although he won't be able to get back on his board again straight away, Sid hasn't been put off.
"I would love to skateboard again," he said.
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