CAMBRIDGE, Ontario A mom's open letter to an anonymous skateboarder who taught her young daughter how to skateboard at a local park has gone viral.
Jeanean Thomas 6-year-old daughter Peyton wanted to learn to skateboard, so over a holiday weekend, she took Peyton to a local skate park in Cambridge, Ontario.
The park was already filled with a rowdy group of teenage boys who were smoking and swearing and Peyton just wanted to go home.
I secretly wanted to go, too, because I didnt want to have to put on my mom voice and exchange words with you, Thomas wrote about the experience.
Thomas convinced Peyton to go down a few ramps despite the other skaters flying past her. Thats when 20-year-old Ryan Carney approached Peyton. Thinking he was about to kick Peyton out, Thomas was shocked when he started giving the young girl some tips on how to stand correctly. Touched by his kindness, she shared an open letter on her Twitter page.
You proceeded to spend almost an hour with my daughter showing her how to balance and steer, and she listened to you; a feat not attained by most adults! Thomas wrote. You held her hand and helped her get up when she fell down and I even heard you tell her to stay away from the rails so that she wouldnt get hurt.
Thomas went on to write that she was proud of Carney for coaching her daughter even while his friends made fun of him. Her letter went viral, being shared thousands of times all over the Internet.
She told The Globe and Mail that she was quick to judge a group of skaters.
Think about that group of teens on the corner that (parents) might think are troublesome and just remember that theyre probably good kids, she said.
The Cambridge Times managed to track down Carney, who was surprised that the story went viral.
I went up there just simply to be nice, Carney told the Times. If I didnt know what the heck I was doing, and I was in a place that could be intimidating at that age, Id want someone to help me.
Thomas told Buzzfeed Canada that Peyton skateboards all the time.
Jeanean Thomas 6-year-old daughter Peyton wanted to learn to skateboard, so over a holiday weekend, she took Peyton to a local skate park in Cambridge, Ontario.
The park was already filled with a rowdy group of teenage boys who were smoking and swearing and Peyton just wanted to go home.
I secretly wanted to go, too, because I didnt want to have to put on my mom voice and exchange words with you, Thomas wrote about the experience.
Thomas convinced Peyton to go down a few ramps despite the other skaters flying past her. Thats when 20-year-old Ryan Carney approached Peyton. Thinking he was about to kick Peyton out, Thomas was shocked when he started giving the young girl some tips on how to stand correctly. Touched by his kindness, she shared an open letter on her Twitter page.
You proceeded to spend almost an hour with my daughter showing her how to balance and steer, and she listened to you; a feat not attained by most adults! Thomas wrote. You held her hand and helped her get up when she fell down and I even heard you tell her to stay away from the rails so that she wouldnt get hurt.
Thomas went on to write that she was proud of Carney for coaching her daughter even while his friends made fun of him. Her letter went viral, being shared thousands of times all over the Internet.
She told The Globe and Mail that she was quick to judge a group of skaters.
Think about that group of teens on the corner that (parents) might think are troublesome and just remember that theyre probably good kids, she said.
The Cambridge Times managed to track down Carney, who was surprised that the story went viral.
I went up there just simply to be nice, Carney told the Times. If I didnt know what the heck I was doing, and I was in a place that could be intimidating at that age, Id want someone to help me.
Thomas told Buzzfeed Canada that Peyton skateboards all the time.