As the world eagerly anticipates the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, all eyes are on the athletes preparing to compete in the highly anticipated games. Among the featured sports, skateboarding will make its second Olympic appearance, with top U.S. skaters like Nyjah Huston and Jagger Eaton set to take the stage. Yet, it’s a skateboarder with an extraordinary story who has captured the attention of many, despite not being in the competition lineup.
Nick Mullins, an adaptive skateboarder, has been invited to Paris to test the Olympic skateboarding course after the medal ceremonies, offering a unique demonstration of perseverance and skill. For Mullins, navigating grind rails, ramps, and stairs is just the beginning—he also skates without sight.
Mullins has been passionate about skateboarding since the age of 10, but a life-altering accident at 18 left him blind. Despite this, his journey to the Paris Games represents a powerful message of resilience and determination, encouraging others to rise after their own falls.
In an interview with WXYZ Detroit, Mullins shared his excitement and goals for the upcoming event. “It’s kind of like a jam format where it’s five to ten very skilled people just flying around the park, demonstrating how well they can skate,” he explained. “We’re trying to get adaptive skateboarding into the Olympics.”
Mullins’ story began with a simple fall during a routine skate session, leading to a severe road rash. What seemed like a minor injury quickly escalated into a MRSA staph infection, placing him in a medically induced coma for six weeks. His chances of survival were slim, and when he awoke, he discovered his retinas had detached, leaving him with only faint light perception. A subsequent surgery left him completely blind.
Despite the physical and emotional challenges, Mullins was determined not to let his disability define him. After months of rehabilitation, he returned to his skateboard, embracing it as a form of meditation and a means of overcoming daily struggles. “Every time I put my foot on grip tape, it’s immediately just meditation,” Mullins said. “The whole world, daily struggles, aggravations—everything just disappears.”
Adapting to his new reality, Mullins skates with a cane in hand, relying on his heightened sense of hearing to visualize his surroundings. “The way I see in my mind, I hear everything around me, but my brain is making up a 3D world of what’s around me inside my head,” he described.
Mullins’ incredible journey has not gone unnoticed. Legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk took note of Mullins’ performance during a Salt Lake City event, where Mullins skated Hawk’s 13-foot vert ramp. Hawk shared a clip of Mullins’ run on Instagram, captioning it, “An inspiring moment during the @vertalert practice last night. Nick Mullins dropped in for this solid three-piece set that included a Miller Flip. Unrelated: he’s blind.”
With his invitation to the Paris Games, Mullins is eager to showcase the potential of adaptive skateboarders on a global stage. “You don’t really know what you’re capable of until you put yourself there and try. You can do some incredible things if you just get out there and try,” he said. “The only disability is having a bad attitude. That was very impactful to me.”
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