Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernadette Prieto.
Hi Bernadette, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey Hey, I’m Bernadette; in the skating community I’m known as Effie. I was born in The Bronx, New York. My father was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and he relocated to New York before meeting my mother who was a native New Yorker. Both my parents unexpectedly passed away two months before my first birthday. I ended up living with my mother’s side of the family. I grew up in New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, bouncing from school to school, because of this, I always made new friends all the time. However, being different and poor made growing up challenging. It was nice to have my older sister around during these times. She really taught me how to stand on my own two feet in this world. We were told just go to school, get good grades, enjoy being a kid, grow up to work, etc. That was the “dream big” picture expected of me. But for me, I wanted a bigger dream. I wanted more than just living in the places I had grown up. After finishing high school in the culinary arts, I completed one year at a community college right before having my first child. She ended up being a girl! My daughter and I left Holyoke, Massachusetts back in 2006 when I was 21 years old. I came down to Orlando, Florida for a two-week vacation to visit my cousin — I never went back. Coming to Florida was my first time being on an airplane. I had just lost my retail job, and really there was nothing for me to go back to. I saw new opportunities for myself in a new place, here, in Florida. At first, I couldn’t drive when Orlando became my home; taking the bus and walking were my primary means for me to get around for 3 years. During that time, I built my credit, got my first apartment, first career, and first car!!! Orlando, Florida, for me, was a great place to restart, it has allowed me to continue to grow and evolve ever since.
Now, I’m a Bilingual Paralegal, specializing in Personal Injury Law for 9 years. I restarted my quad skate journey 7 years ago with the Orlando Roller Derby flat track team. I am a proud mother of two: however, at that time, I was more involved with my children and focused on their wellbeing and extra-curricular activities. I had lost sight of my own interests and passions for life. Playing for a roller derby team gave me that outlet and allowed me to be the best possible version of me. Getting into skating again reignited my passion for it. I really began skating at 15 years old. I can remember every Saturday going to the local rink with my cousin and her family. Roller skating has always made me feel alive and free like there is no wrong way to move on my skates.
Now as an adult, it’s been amazing meeting new skaters with similar passions for skating, and I’ve had the opportunity to skate for other teams and leagues in the Florida area, including Thunder City Sirens, Ocala Cannonballs, and Florida’s only bank track team Deadly Rival. Working with so many different skaters has also allowed me to continue to improve my current skills, as well as learn new ones, and I take pride in being an example for my kids and a supportive teacher for new skaters. My skating journey has taken me from flat-track roller derby to owning & operating a small skating business and promoting community fellowship among skaters everywhere.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road had been bumpy to say the least. Getting event sponsorships, trying to get the community together, running a whole business while also working my normal job along with being a single parent is definitely tough. I take the No’s and keep going until I get the Yes. My passion for skating makes the long hours’ worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a single mom passionate about urban skating, park skating, roller derby, and skate fitness training. I am a former roller derby coach/trainer/player. I played flat track and bank track and always have been passionate about teaching others. Eat_MySkates, offers skate lessons from beginners to advance, we teach the FUN-damentals of roller skating: how to fall, safely, how to be confident on wheels, stride, stops, balance, etc. We also host/organize monthly events for the skating/wheel community as we want to keep up the camaraderie, giving skaters a way to connect with one another and to build skills with each other!
I’m most proud of the Quad/Blade night I created. Quad/Blade night is the ONLY event that excludes other wheels. This is the only event where only roller skating and inlines wheels are allowed. It was created to give a safe space, plus most skate parks are dedicated to skateboarding; this particular night we get the whole skate park at Metro Skateboard Academy to ourselves with no interruptions from other wheels (scooters, skateboards, bikes). It’s been said that being around other wheels in a group large setting has been very intimidating for the beginner skaters, so this night held once a month gives them the space to skate comfortably. I really try to listen to what the skate community wants and needs. Eat_MySkates is different because we are setting the standards for how the skating community should be in Orlando. We are inclusive to all & love giving back to the community. We’ve worked with other local nonprofits and helped get donations of various items to them in times of need. Not only are we a skating company, we are also about our community and what we can do to make it better!
Part of my mission in starting Eat_MySkates was organizing local events that truly welcome all skate lifestyles. As my business has grown in the past year, I have expanded to other counties, continue to organize and promote charitable events as well as skate unity.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Just to be humble, appreciating life and time with family/friends. Covid is scary, best to take the best precautions and efforts to keep your family and everyone around you safe.
Pricing:
- $45 stating lessons
Contact Info:
- Email: EatMySkates@gmail.com
- Website: https://eatmyskates.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatmyskates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eat.myskates
Image Credits
Sam Post – he did the action pics. Aaron Wockenfuss – did in, one action shot. Rest of pictures are from Eat_My_Skates brand.
