Paraplegic Skateboarder Dan Pelletier on What Motivates Him to Skate
“My dream is to land a backside 360 for this year.”
27-year-old skateboarder Daniel Pelletier is paralyzed from the waist down, but that hasn’t stopped him from achieving his dreams on his skateboard. Pelletier went through 25 surgeries for his recovery, having suffered spine damage when he was born which led to the paralysis in his legs. The Berrics recently posted a video spotlighting Pelletier where the skater discussed what motivates him to continue riding.
“It’s almost like the old man thing, like you see an old man that’s been gardening his whole life until about he’s 99, but as soon as he quits gardening, he dies,” said Pelletier in the video. “It’s similar to me with skateboarding, I feel alive when I skate, compared to just sitting and just rotting on a bed, you know?”
In his teens, Pelletier started skating with crutches and eventually got sponsored. However, further health complications hampered his plans to continue to skate with crutches while standing up. In the video titled “I Keep Livin’ It,” the skater goes into detail of his background and what goals he’s trying to fulfill at the moment. “I know this might sound silly, but my dream is to land a backside 360 for this year. That’s it,” he said. “Once, I do land that let’s add another one.”
Watch the video above and then head to The Berrics’ website to learn more.
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