‘My skateboard journey round the Wild Atlantic Way to honour my friend’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93x4qn62y0o

A young woman from Banbridge is skateboarding across the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland to raise awareness of suicide.

Becky Gilmour is at the final stretch of the journey and hopes to complete it by December before the weather takes a turn.

The 26-year-old has spent the last five months travelling along the 2,500km (1,553 miles) coastal route that stretches from Kinsale in County Cork, to Inishowen in County Donegal.

Becky set out on the west coast in June, inspired to help "open up the conversation around suicide", after losing a friend to it during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A woman wearing a black, sleeveless top and brown cap is standing in front of a pebble-dash wall. She is holding a bright yellow skateboard that has the message saying Keep On painted on it above a drawing of a flower. The skateboard has kiwi-green wheels.Image source, Becky Gimour
Image caption,

Becky Gilmour is skateboarding the entire Wild Atlantic Way
'I do just love an adventure'

Skating anywhere from 20 to 60km (12 to 37 miles) a day, Becky said she "is no athlete", and hopes that those following her on social media will see that anybody can get out there and do the same.

She noticed growing up that outdoor pursuits looked expensive, and felt put off from giving them a go.

She said she hopes this trip proves otherwise.

"I want adventure and outdoors to be accessible for everyone," she said.

She added that her skateboard has surprisingly needed "no repairs", and little maintenance.

Becky has arrived in County Mayo, which she has really enjoyed so far as "their road surfaces are the best".

"I've had two hard falls now," she added.

"The road surfaces in some places are so tough for a skateboard. There's been times where I catch myself just laughing at what I'm doing because it's so utterly ridiculous but, you know, all part of the fun."

She has also taken to the sea on a paddleboard with the help of her friend Adam when visiting islands off the coast including Aran, Inishbofin, and Clare, much to the disbelief of the locals.
A woman is travelling along a rural road on a skateboard to the right, wearing a black vest, shorts, and a high-vis. She is also wearing a helmet, waving at an oncoming grey mini cooper on the left where the driver's hand is waving back. It appears to be a sunny day.Image source, Becky Gilmour
Image caption,

Some have noticed Becky on her journey from her social media posts

Becky has slowed down recently to visit some schools, but looks to speed up again before winter sets in, and arrive at the north coast by mid-December.

The trip will then finish in Portrush in County Antrim, where Becky bought her first longboard with her friend, before he died.

This is the same board that she has been using when skating across the Wild Atlantic Way.
'Together with the waves'
This mural is painted on the side of a one story building. On it, we see a surge of blue waves upwards towards a pale yellow sun, set against a baby-pink sky. In the same colour, there is a message at the bottom left reading le cheile leis na tonnta, which is Irish for together with the waves. On the ground at the bottom, her yellow skateboard is laying down sideways.Image source, Becky Gilmour
Image caption,

This mural has an Irish message, meaning "together with the waves"

With each county she visits, Becky leaves behind a mural to "share hope and support for those who are struggling". These come out of pocket or donations she has received.

"I'm so well looked after by folks that I meet along the way," she said, with some offering bed and board to assist in her journey, " told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.

Staying in a campervan with her friend by the coast, she once received an unusual gift from a local, external.

"He knocked on the van, woke us up, and just chucked a lobster at me while I was sleeping.

"He gifted it to us, but he left really quickly.

"We didn't have the heart to kill it, we ended up having to just put it back in the ocean."
Skip instagram post by beckygilmour_

Allow Instagram content?

This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of instagram post by beckygilmour_

If you have been affected by any of the issues in his story, help and advice is available on the BBC Action Line.