COLWOOD, B.C. — When she first showed her daughter videos from her skateboarding past, Nikki Parian wasn’t surprised by Sophia’s reaction. “She can say some words,” Nikki smiles at her daughter, who’s sitting in the wheelchair beside her. “Mom. Try.” Although doctors have used words like cerebral palsy since Sophia was a baby, Nikki says the best word to describe her daughter is adventurous. “(She says) ‘I want to try. I want to run. I want to jump,’” Nikki smiles. But every time Sophia would try those things, her body would do something different. “I always encourage her to always say, ‘I can do it,’” Nikki says. So, when she got her walker, Sophia discovered she could walk down the aisle as a flower girl, she could splash around in the waterpark and she could dance like no one’s watching. But best of all, Sophia can show you don’t need words to say you have a need for speed. “She will just run!” Nikki laughs, before showing multiple videos of Sophia racing in her walker and laughing the whole way. So, when Sophia asked to try skateboarding, Nikki tried to make it work. “I always want Sophia to be included in every activity like any other kids,” Nikki says as she pushes her daughter up and down the inclines in the skatepark in her wheelchair and walker, occasionally letting Sophia go on her own. While Sophia always relishes feeling boundless, Nikki is always working to ensure her daughter never feels confined. Nikki says they haven’t been included at other kid’s birthday parties and have been criticized by strangers for Sophia’s condition. “You’ll always have some people judge you,” Nikki says. “So that’s why I always advocate to always choose to be kind.” And with Sophia always facing every challenge with joy, Nikki says her daughter is teaching her about bravery, resilience, and gratitude. “She’s teaching me it’s such a beautiful journey,” Nikki smiles. “Some days are bad and good, but you just need to keep skating.”
