Richa Jha’s Skating Journey

Let’s take up Richa Jha’s Skating Journey,  for today. We recently caught up with the state level skater, Richa Jha and here’s the result:

Richa Jha’s Skating Journey

What attracted you to rollar-skating?

Credit goes to my school, Ryan International (Surat). Throughout my high school, I was actively involved in extracurricular activities and roller-skating was part of our school curriculum too.

I set out on a roller skating journey during my school days and quickly learned it. The more I skated though, the more I became fascinated. Also, dancing to my favorite music while gliding around on the wheels makes me feel badass.It also helped me precipitate a summer activity and motivated me to hone my creative outlets.

When did you begin the training?

Initially, I was just enjoying the passive delight of watching pro skaters. I was in my teens when I started the training. Thanks to my coaches, Kiran Rathod and Kalpesh Patel Sir, both of them with their unstinting efforts and caliber trained me.

My transition from a tenacity skater to a quad skater was pretty quick and seamless. It required good balance and core strength while navigating the surface direction, consistency and deceleration.

Just for info: Quad skates are skates with 4 wheels arranged in twos like a car. It requires more propulsion and mobility, making it perfect for rink skating and artistic skating.

You are a state level roller-skater and you might have won awards. Tell us more about it.

I represented Surat at the State level as a skater. The State Level Championship was held in Ahmedabad city and after winning Khel Mahakumbh (an initiative by the state government to encourage sports), Gujarat’s biggest annual sports event, I was selected for state level in the quad skates category. At Khel Mahakumbh, I won the coveted cheque of ₹10,000/- as the prize and it was my first paycheque as a teenager, which was indeed a very proud moment for my parents and me.

I also had to overcome several adversities, and one of them was when I ended up with a dental injury and it required a root canal. My teeth also became very crooked after that skating mishap. The toll it took on me felt traumatic at the time, but now it’s a relic of the past.

What is the right age to begin roller-skating?

I believe that mastering roller skates is about levity, balance and presence of mind. You can start skating whenever you want if you are in the pink of health.

But if you want to gain that competitive edge, you need to start early. Ideally, I would suggest age 8 is the best time to get rolling on the wheels.

Is there an ideal weight for someone to begin roller-skating?

I am not aware of what the ideal weight limit is, but every skater should prioritize their health and must find a sturdy set of skates based on their fit profile. (The most crucial factor is fitness.)

Pro Tip: When trying on a new skate, wear your skate socks.

What else do you do?

I work as a freelance writer and model based out of Mumbai.My published write-ups can be seen in mainline media publications such as Outlook India, Hindustan Times, TellyChakkar, The Statesman, Mid-Day, and ANI News, among other publications.Also, I love singing and watching morbid serial killer documentaries. My guilty pleasure is eating richly decadent pancakes and I enjoy parsing through the skincare aisle in my spare time.