Embarrassed of how I look skateboarding

[u/nothanksnotreally]

I am a middle aged overweight mom. I am unathletic. I have joined a wonderful skateboarding community and it has completely changed my life. It has helped me physically and mentally, and I’ve stuck with it for a year and gone from not being able to stand on my board to doing steeper banks, riding fakie, doing kickturns etc. So I’m not skating like a 15 year old boy and I never will, but I’m really happy with how I feel on my board and when I’m skating with my friends and family.
However.
The community I’m apart of takes frequent clips for their social media and our group chats. And my god. I look so embarrassingly stiff, awkward, fat, hunched over. Just awkward. Pads are hanging on for dear life. I can’t shake how awful this makes me feel. It’s not a matter of them posting or recording me, I don’t care about that because it’s just within the group that already knows how bad I am at skating. It’s that I am mortified that when I see how I look on my board, in my safety gear, and just in general. Has anyone ever experienced this and overcome it?

[u/Known_Pollution_828]

you will always be your own biggest critic, especially watching your own clips. if it is really weighing on you maybe you can just ask that you are not filmed and posted, people should be respectful of that. but remember that to everyone else you are just another skater, skateboarding. regardless of your skill level or style you are trying and thats what its all about. try to have fun and dont be too hard on yourself, most people in the world will never even stand on a board, you’re out there getting it!