Olympian shares love of skateboarding while dreaming up a new skate park in Amherstburg

The town of Amherstburg is hoping to build the ultimate skate park.

To achieve that, officials are actively working to engage with young people on wheels to find out what they want and need in their future park. 

"If you build it, they will come," said Heidi Baillargeon, the director of parks, recreation, facilities & culture for the Town of Amherstburg.

"Kids in the community, they're always looking for something to do. It's all age levels really.... We're looking at something for the young kids all the way up to advanced skaters. There has been a lot of interest."

The future skate park is expected to include a pump track, a flat pad, a bowl — something for skate boarders and cyclists. 

Feedback was collected during a skate field trip held earlier this month to firm up some of those design elements. 

Young skateboarders, scooterists and cyclists came together at Windsor's Little River Pump Track and Forest Glade Skate Park to try out the different amenities to let the town know what they want and don't want in Amherstburg.

Professional skateboarder and Austrian Olympian Julia Brueckler along with vice president of Canadian Ramp Company, Graham Cooke, were on hand to skate and chat with the kids. 

"Skateboarding is the best thing ever. I'm not just saying that because it, like, really changed my mind and changed my life," Brueckler said.

"Through skateboarding you not only learn on your skateboard and in the park, you like learn for your life because you learn you have to try a million times, you're going to fall, you might cry, you might bleed, all these things can happen, but you're going to get up and try it again and then it's going to be the best feeling once you succeed."

The demand for skate parks and pump tracks