From wheels to wings

How Kevin Almazan turned skateboarding into his superpower

- By MILLIE MANAHAN

Most people take the simple act of walking for granted.

For Kevin Almazan, however, movement has always been something he had to figure out on his own. Born without feet, the 19-year-old from Calamba, Laguna, refused to let that stop him from pursuing independence. He just had to find another way—one that turned out to be skateboarding.

I first noticed Kevin at our regional and national qualifiers in Laguna. In the middle of the event chaos, I caught glimpses of him—fluid, fearless, and entirely in control on his skateboard. At the time, I didn’t get a chance to speak to him, but his presence left an impression. It wasn’t until our recent competition in Valenzuela that I finally sat down with him to hear his story.

Kevin grew up using a wheelchair. Doctors had told his mother to prepare for a life full of limitations, but Kevin had other plans. He refused to let his condition define what he could and couldn’t achieve.

“Sabi ng doctor kay Mama, ‘Ma’am, huwag po kayo mabibigla... Tapos noong 10 years old na ako, sinasabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Bakit ganito ako?’ Ang daming nanghuhusga sa akin,” he recalled. (“The doctor told my mom, ‘Ma’am, don’t be shocked...’ Then when I turned 10, I kept asking myself, ‘Why am I like this? So many people judge me?”)