‘It’s an incredible feeling’: the Greek skateboarders getting girls and refugees onboard

‘I’ll see a girl peeking through the fence during a lesson and know they want to come inside but might be shy.’ Children at a Free Movement Skateboarding class in Athens. Photograph: Courtesy of Free Movement Skateboarding

Erato* is a skateboarder who teaches refugees in her native Greece for the grassroots charity Free Movement Skateboarding. The group has created a new community for young refugees using public spaces across Athens.

When I first started skateboarding in Greece, some of the boys I skated with were very supportive but I still heard things like: “Wow, it’s really impressive you’re skating.” I found it a strange thing to hear when they weren’t making the same comments about boys.