29-Year-Old Skater Crosses U.S. in Tribute to Late Stepfather

Brooke Johnson has officially made history as the first woman to skateboard across the United States, completing a 3,226-mile journey from Santa Monica, California, to Virginia Beach in just 119 days. The 29-year-old carried her late stepfather Roger’s ashes in a necklace the entire way—honoring the man who always believed she could do it. Battling storms, steep climbs, and even a tornado warning in Oklahoma, Brooke pushed forward with Roger’s name written on her shoes, raising $50,000 for Wings for Life spinal cord research along the way. At the finish line, she lifted her board high before stepping into the Atlantic Ocean, guided by a voicemail from Roger that reminded her, “Everything’s gonna be fine…We’ll get through it.”