At a graffiti-covered skate spot in north London, skater Rae Smith is sitting on a nearby patch of grass, eating toast. With her shaved head, long limbs and neon pink board, the 35-year-old is a familiar face around here. She’s warm, observant and quick to smile – fist-bumping everyone who drifts past holding a board.
Rae skates here most afternoons, when she’s not organising all-inclusive, beginner-friendly skateboard meetups around London or recording conversations for her YouTube vlog, Keep Pushing. Like any other skater, her Instagram account frames all the fun moments: the hype of nailing a new trick, bloody elbows from slamming into concrete, post-skate pizzas. But you’ll also see her talking about deeper, more personal issues, like the highs and lows that have come with openly claiming her identity…
