19 Aug , 17:47
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Brooke Johnson made history: the first woman to cross the USA on a skateboard
The 29-year-old athlete completed an incredible journey, starting from Santa Monica Beach in California and finishing 119 days and 3,266 miles later in Virginia Beach last Friday.
Johnson undertook this grueling adventure with a noble purpose — to raise funds for Wings for Life, a non-profit spinal cord research foundation. She dedicated her feat to the memory of her late stepfather Roger, who broke his fifth cervical vertebra, became a quadriplegic, and passed away last year due to a spinal cord injury.
On her way to the record, Johnson had to overcome harsh weather conditions, difficult terrain, and even holes in her shoes. Despite all the challenges, she not only reached her goal but also raised an impressive sum of $50,000, setting a new world record.
In an interview with WVEC television, the athlete shared that she felt her late stepfather's support throughout the entire route.
"He was like supporting me throughout this whole journey - it's really incredible," she admitted.
Before his passing, Johnson dreamed that they would cross the finish line together — she on a skateboard, pushing her stepfather in a wheelchair.
"I said: 'Roger, this is really a big country.' And he replied: 'Well, you can do it'," Johnson recalls.
When Brooke crossed the Red Bull finish line on Friday, she was wearing a special heart-shaped necklace containing Roger's ashes.
"Roger left me with a purpose, and I thank him for that every day," she said.
