This story is part of a series of ‘good news’ stories written by journalism students from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
There’s a familiar rhythm to the sound of hard rubber wheels hitting concrete. A crash, a pause, and then another crash. Then the sound of wood scraping along metal bars and the occasional wail of a child falling over, followed by an adult’s words of encouragement.
Only days after recovering from COVID-19, Mya Arifin is back at her local skateboard park in Belfield, Sydney with her two children, aged nine and 11, in tow.
“They teach me as much as I teach them,” the 36-year-old laughs as she brushes one child off after their latest tumble.
Skateboarding as a mum, Mya states on her Instagram page, is all about pushing past the fear of failing.
As the Sydney representative of Skater Uktis – a global skateboarding crew for Muslim women of all ages – Mya documents her every struggle with learning to skateboard for her followers to see.
Ukhti means ‘sister’ in Arabic.
“Ever since I was young, I was a bit of a tomboy. I loved sports and I had a real inclination towards anything active,” she says. But she only took up skateboarding during the COVID-19 lockdown mid-last year.
Mya was born in Indonesia and grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It’s an area she says she has a deep love for but one she never felt like she completely belonged in.
“I grew up on the Northern Beaches, which is predominantly Anglo-Saxon, and ‘ethnic’ people were the minority.”
I grew up on the Northern Beaches, which is predominantly Anglo-Saxon, and ‘ethnic’ people were the minority.Mya Arifin
Mya is Muslim and wears a hijab. She says a lack of diversity in the area didn’t deter her from doing what she loved but expectations from within her family created self-doubt.
“I really wanted to do something in physical education as a career but I didn’t really think about it because here in the Northern Beaches they take it so seriously and I thought, ‘I can’t compete with these people.’”
“And with my parents, they didn’t really encourage that either.”
“My parents knew the religion and they were very strict with rules in our house. It wasn’t always a good thing because we also had a language barrier.”
But despite that, it was her love for sport, she says, that fostered the greatest sense of community in her.
Skateboarding as a mum, Mya says it's all about pushing past the fear of failing. Credit: Supplied/Hidayah Yuswirahim
“I wanted something to do, but I didn’t know what. I walked past a women’s only gym and I pretty much started from there. I trained five days a week and did every class under the sun and I loved it. I loved coming to the gym.”
That same sense of community is why she joined the Skater Uktis movement in 2021.
The global online movement has more than 2,500 Instagram followers of all skating levels and interest, with official members across 17 countries.
Skater Uktis “is here not only to create and connect Muslim female skaters, but to develop and empower the next generation,” its website states.
“To grow spiritually and become ethical leaders across the board; activists, politicians, community organisers and much more.”
The crew was founded in 2020 by Nusaiba Al-Azami, a UK-based psychotherapist trainee, and Mya joined in 2021. It’s currently free to join as a member with a key goal of creating a safe and accessible place for women to share their love of skating.
“I came across it when I first started skating,” Mya says. “I was looking on Instagram and found they also do online meetups every Tuesday night UK time for spiritual sessions.”
“We’re trying to combine not only skating but also the deen.”
Deen is the Arabic word for the ‘religion’ or ‘belief’ a Muslim has in Islam.
After signing up, Mya was invited to attend weekly online seminars hosted by Skater Uktis. The workshops cover everything from hobbies to politics and leadership programs, incorporating Islamic perspectives and knowledge throughout.
Mya is now merging her faith with her passions as the Sydney representative of a skateboarding sisterhood. Credit: Supplied/Mya Arifin
Because of the time difference, Mya sometimes wakes up at 3am to take part - something that caught the eyes of the UK organisers, who then offered her the role of Sydney representative.
“The last workshop that I really enjoyed was about the rights of the people. It was kind of political, but I actually really enjoyed it because I learned a few things,” she says.
“And as we know, it’s an obligation in Islam for us to keep learning.”
Mya says she is persistent in her skateboarding progress, practising as much as she can. And as the Sydney representative of Skater Uktis, she works voluntarily to organise skate meetups and spiritual workshops.
Away from the crew, Mya is a professional personal trainer who shares exercise tips and advice on social media. Similar to Skater Uktis, she says her faith shapes her approach.
Mya, who has both a Certificate III and Diploma in fitness, also completed specific training courses about anatomy and physiology to tailor her service for the women she works with. Along with her qualifications, she says her faith has also led her to take personal health more seriously.
“My favourite hadith [Islamic story or tradition] talks about your body as an amanah – a trust – and that’s why we need to take care of our body,” she says.
“Physically, mentally and spiritually – that hadith is one that always sticks with me, whenever I do anything, whenever I’m happy or sad or depressed, I always have that in the back of my mind.”
“I think social media is a very powerful tool, if you can use it in a good way. Not just to connect with any people, but connecting with like-minded people.”
Mya says she is proud of her identity as a Muslim, a mum and a sport enthusiast, and wants to encourage others to be themselves while navigating their faith - particularly young people.
“Everyone has flashes of losing their identity, or not knowing how to fit in. And it took me quite a while to figure out who I am, and to love being a Muslim, because I wasn't always like that.”
She believes approaching female leadership from an Islamic perspective can lead to the next generation of girls like Mya not feeling like the odd ones out in their community, particularly when taking part in sport.
She says she would love to see more Australian Muslim mums joining Skater Uktis and engaging in the leadership workshops as well as at the skate park.
“When I go skating with my children I often see Muslim mums with their kids – but they’re usually sitting down, which is totally fine.”
“But that doesn’t stop me; I’m here to skate.”
Amaani Siddeek is an Australian Muslim journalism and creative writing graduate. She is currently undertaking a cadetship at News Corp Australia.
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