Shout Outs!

Shout Outs! is our way of spotlighting Skate Like a Girl fans, volunteers, sponsors, and participants.

Our inaugural Shout Out: Maryama Jilo interviewed by Katie Killeen

Maryama is a math student at the University of Washington, who started skating with Skate Like a Girl over the past winter and she has since become an active volunteer.  Her parents don’t particularly approve of her skating, so she tells them she is in math review sessions when she is really learning to drop in at Ladies Nights in Bellevue and Renton.

As a first generation Somali-American she balances what she wants to do (skateboard) with her conservative family life.  When she goes home she slips on her abaya (a long dress) before walking in the door. “I haven’t gotten caught yet,” she says with a smile. Maryama wants to learn pop shuvits.

Name Maryama Jilo

Age 19
Hometown Born in Houston raised in Seattle

How long have you been skating? Since January 2010
How did you find out about Skate Like a Girl?
I did a google search about “girls skateboarding”… I had nothing to do over winter break!

Favorite skate spot I don’t have one. I’m not that advanced.

Favorite trick I like pumping. I like watching other people skate and it inspires me.

Skate steez?
I consider myself not very skater-ish. I wear whatever is comfortable. I’m looking for vegan skate shoes!

Why do you enjoy skateboarding?
Seeing other people having motivation allows me to capture that and I kinda lack that and it pushes me. It sounds corny, but…(laughs)

Worst injury skating Sprained ankle – but it wasn’t that bad.

What do you do when not skating? Youtube, Youtube, and more Youtube. Or go to urban art galleries.

Cool Fact I can’t go to sleep if I don’t drink apple juice.

If you could fill a bathtub with anything what would it be?
I would rather have my bath tub filled with marine invertebrates because they are the coolest animals on land or in sea (as a opposed to white chocolate truffle ice cream [which was my first answer]).  From sponges, to sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, (you know they can shoot out their guts when under attack and then regenerate them), sea anemones,octopus and squids,  various crustacean, and  last but not least certain jellyfish that bio-luminescence. There is a plethora of biodiversity among marine invertebrates and will bring me much joy if they were filled in my bath tub.

Regular or goofy? Goofy