Am I Too Old To Roller Skates?

When is it time to give up on learning skills? How to learn to be brave again?

Should I give up on learning roller skating? I wondered as I lay on the floor, blinded by the pink strobe lights and an unknown K-pop song blaring from the speakers. I wasn't even sure how I ended up on the floor despite using a roller skate trainer—this three-legged PVC frame with wheels that was supposed to help me balance, yet there I was, flat on the ground.

I took a moment to check if I'd broken my hip; luckily, I was fine. When you get to your 40s, there's a likelihood that when you fall, you won't walk away unscathed. People my age and beyond can suffer serious injuries from something as simple as getting up from bed, so I'm extra mindful when doing physical activities.

As I slowly tried to get up, a young man wearing a shirt with "Coach" emblazoned on it approached to assist me. I don't even know why he was wearing that shirt since he didn't teach us how to skate. He mostly breezed through the rink in his roller skates, turning and gliding as if the floor were made of ice. I couldn't gauge his skill level as I'm not a skater, but through my amateur eyes, he was an expert. I'd been watching him the whole time, trying to imitate his moves, but my feet just wouldn't cooperate.

I was roller skating at Roller Fever with my sister's kids. We traveled 48 minutes from Taguig to Parañaque to get to Ayala Malls Manila Bay. We went there just to try roller skating because I wanted to see if I could handle it better than inline skating. Well, it seemed I couldn't handle it any better since I ended up on the floor.

I had a slightly better experience today than the first time I tried this in Baguio two months ago because, at least this time, I didn't stay on the side of the rink. My progress wasn't due to any improvement in skill, though, but thanks to the skate trainer, which reminded me of the walker elderly people use.

Roller Fever had better equipment and facilities than the Burnham Skating Rink. The skates were clean and in good condition. The rink was smaller but clean, less crowded, and played K-Pop music in the background. The rate was ₱349 ($6.07) per hour. They provided lockers for your belongings and safety gear, including a helmet, knee pads, wrist guards, and elbow pads. My favorite part was the skate trainers, so even if you're a complete beginner, you could still give skating a try.

When we started, there were two other girls, probably teenagers or in their early 20s, enjoying their time on the rink. Both knew how to skate, and as I struggled to maintain my balance with the walker, I looked at them with envy. Ahh... to be young and fearless. I wish I had learned to skate when I was little, then this would have been easier.

There was a time in our neighborhood when inline skating was popular among the kids. I was in grade school and wanted so badly to have my own skates. I remember asking my parents, but Mama flatly said no, claiming we couldn't afford them. Did she even bother to find out how much they cost? I bet not. But that’s how my mother was; everything seemed expensive to her. I didn't understand it as a kid, but now that I'm an adult and know she was raising six kids in a small house on my father's meager salary, I get it.

Good thing Papa had a bicycle, so that's what I learned instead. I was about 10 or 11 years old when he put training wheels on it and let me practice outside. Papa held my arm as I mounted the bike, and my worry dissipated once I realized the training wheels kept the bike upright. I spent the whole afternoon cycling up and down our street, exhilarated by the feel of the wind on my face.

The next day, I watched nervously as Papa removed the training wheels. He held the bike upright and told me to get on the seat. My pleas to put the training wheels back went ignored. Papa told me to start pedaling while he held the back of the saddle to keep the bike steady. I gripped the handles tightly and started pedaling. Suddenly, I was moving fast as Papa gave the bike a strong push. My heart raced, but I wasn't falling; I was riding a bicycle! The confidence I gained that day stuck with me. I even learned how to bike with passengers and have never forgotten how to ride, no matter how long I go without cycling.

But now, in my 40s, I seem to have forgotten how to be brave.

They say adults fear more things than kids do because children have no concept of death. Adults, on the other hand, are painfully aware of their mortality and often lean toward self-preservation. Kids are eager to discover what their bodies can do and explore their limits, while adults are constantly reminded to be cautious. We know that sports can be risky and that the older we get, the harder it is to recover from injuries. So we hold back.

We even mock people who get hurt. Just look at the comments on viral videos of people attempting risky stunts, like climbing tall buildings without safety gear or riding roller coasters. You'll see people saying things like, "The best part about this is that you don't have to do it."

I'm not exactly sure when my fear of injury began, but it probably started in my mid-30s when I began experiencing minor injuries. I hurt my lower back and broke my ankle while doing home workouts.

The lower-back pain has been recurring for years, and it was always excruciating. I could barely walk, couldn’t sleep, and felt sharp pain shooting through my hips with every movement. It also took days to recover. Imagine trying to stay fit but injuring yourself in the process.

That memory flashed through my mind when I found myself on the rink’s floor. I was worried I wouldn't be able to get up, but thankfully, I did. Although I felt some pain, it wasn’t serious. This could have been avoided if I had practiced how to fall forward properly. I'd seen tutorials, but I hadn’t practiced enough for it to become instinctive. Whenever I felt myself slipping, my body leaned backward instead of forward.

Meanwhile, my niece and nephew were doing fine; the nephew didn’t need the walker and skated easily, the niece used the walker but seemed more stable than I. At that moment, I wished I were a kid again, curious, fearless, and willing to fail in order to learn.

Unfortunately, I’m a middle-aged woman with a lower-back problem. I’m not sure how I can master this sport without risking injury.

Despite my hesitations, I haven’t completely given up on roller skating. Maybe it’s my pride, my dream, or the belief that I can still learn. Or maybe I just refuse to accept that age should limit me. I’ll need to be cautious, practice more, and invest in safety gear like a bum protector. The point is, I want to keep trying.

So, to answer my question earlier: No, I shouldn’t give up on roller skating just yet.