Woman To Watch: Lucy Adams

There are tonnes of amazing women out there who are shaking things up in their industry.  Across business, sport, art and tech, we’re talking to incredible ladies to learn about their lives and how they’re changing the game.  As the wise philosopher, Beyonce, once said, “Who run the world? Girls.”

Name:  Lucy Adams
Age:  30
Location:  Horsham, West Sussex
Sexuality:  Lesbian

First ever job:  I cleaned offices three nights a week after school / college.
Uni? What/where?  Yes. I went to the University of Manchester to study Management and Leisure from 2003-2006. I chose Manchester Uni based around its proximity to three large indoor skate parks, not because of the course itself.
Current occupation:  My 9-5 is as a Sports Development Officer for Young People in West Sussex however most of my spare time is focused on skateboarding and teaching skateboarding to others.
Months or years in current field:  I’ve been coaching skateboarding for over 10 years now but the work has increased mainly in the last 5 years.
Tell us what your typical day looks like:  There isn’t really a typical day for me; skateboarding depends a lot on the weather or frequent access to indoor facilities and because I don’t have the latter, I have to grab what dry days there are. Last summer I was regularly starting my days at 7am at the skate park to get an hour in before, then doing an hours private lesson and then off to my 9-5. Every day I can, I take a skate lunch and if time allows I stop for a quick skate on the way home. Typical weekend days look largely the same but there’s usually a group skate lesson thrown in as well and then more skateboarding for me rather than Council work!
What did you want to be when you were 5 yrs.’ old?  Probably either a Fire fighter or an Astronaut – or that may have been a couple of years later but I can’t remember.
What was your first big professional break?  Back in 2002 I was asked to go to Barcelona to teach a weeklong Skateboarding Summer Camp. There were other Pro female skaters from the US and Europe that I got to work with and it led to me working with the company on a further 5 international camps over 3 more years.
Who is your work idol?  The people I look up to most within skateboarding are mainly local heroes. Definitely Trevor Wedd is an idol because he gave me the gift of skateboarding and I’ll always owe him for that. I’m inspired by seeing people progress over a period of time and nothing makes me want to skate more than seeing good skateboarding itself.
What’s been your biggest achievement to date?  I guess a pretty big one has to be winning the UK Champs three years out of the five it has been running for! If it’s just life achievements then I would say that I’m most proud of finding happiness in my life. I feel very lucky to have found my partner and have a good work-life balance and a great home with a gorgeous little dog, J.
What keeps you awake at night?  At the moment, my lovely little dog as she attempts to get in bed with us at approximately 4am each night. Other than that, plans for our upcoming wedding have been on my mind a lot but I do try not to let things bother me too much – especially at night!
Have you ever cried at work?  Yes. In a previous role during a stressful situation – one I’d definitely rather forget. One skateboarding accident featuring a broken wrist has brought tears to my eyes but I was a teenage girl at the time around lots of teenage boys and so I managed to blink them back.
What’s your ultimate goal to achieve?  I think I’d just like to keep on being happy and to skate for long as my body can take it. I think to just reach a point where I can really feel like I’ve inspired others to skate and been able to support them in progressing.

Check out the Brighton She-Shredders Facebook page to find out more about regular skate sessions with Lucy and her own professional page to learn more about her.