LOS ANGELES – The skateboarding community, rocked by several prominent deaths related to mental health issues, is hoping the benefits that go with the sport’s inclusion in this year’s Tokyo Olympics will help its athletes tackle the underlying problems.
Briton Ben Raemers committed suicide in 2019, skateboarding pioneer Jeff Grosso died from a drug overdose in 2020, and 22-year-old Henry Gartland took his own life last month, highlighting the urgent need to address issues like depression and addiction.
“Skateboarding is a very tight-knit community,” said USA Skateboarding CEO Josh Friedberg.
“Everyone has these links to each other and that makes…
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