GoodHeart | Michael De Roeck takes on 500 miles for Freedom Skatepark

Sixteen days into a 21-day, 500-mile run around Jamaica, Michael De Roeck is putting his endurance to the test to raise funds for the young people served by Freedom Skatepark. De Roeck, a trustee of the Freedom Skatepark Foundation, began the Freedom Skatepark 500 on August 7 at the organisation’s Bull Bay facility to raise US$75,000 (approximately J$11.9 million) towards the foundation’s youth programmes.

De Roeck, who is originally from the United Kingdom but lives in the United States, where he trains for marathons, has completed several marathons before. The Freedom Skatepark 500, however, presented an opportunity to turn his love of running into a challenge with a wider purpose.

“I wanted to take something familiar and push it far beyond anything I had previously attempted – to ask myself how far I could go, how much I could endure and whether something of this scale was even possible,” he told GoodHeart. “Jamaica also presented a unique opportunity because it is small enough to run the full perimeter of the country. There is something very special about covering the coastline, travelling through every parish and eventually being able to say that I ran around Jamaica on foot.”

His connection to Freedom Skatepark runs deep. He has watched the organisation grow from a piece of land beside a football pitch into a wider youth development space.

absolutely fantastic.

“I work with charities and am involved in partnerships with non-profit organisations globally, so I understand the sector quite well. Every element of Freedom Skatepark is absolutely fantastic. Everyone involved is moving in the same direction and is incredibly passionate about youth development. It is such a positive place to be around,” he shared.

The transformation has also given him a close view of the people and programmes at the heart of the organisation: “The mentors, staff and coaches are all inspiring figures in the lives of the young people they support, and I am full of praise for what the organisation has accomplished.”

Opened in 2020, Freedom Skatepark is a free public street skatepark. Through its partnership with Concrete Jungle Foundation, it delivers the Peace, Love, Edu-Skate programme alongside literacy support, homework tutoring, yoga, photography, coding and youth mentorship.

Asked what the experience has been like so far, De Roeck acknowledged that he was unsure at the outset whether he would be able to complete it.

“When I started, I honestly did not know whether I would be able to complete it. On day two, my support crew was already telling friends back home that it looked touch and go because the heat was so overwhelming,” he explained.

proved difficult

He had trained predominantly in the US, including in summer temperatures of approximately 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, but Jamaica’s humidity proved difficult to prepare for.

“When my body temperature becomes too high, my body essentially tells me that it cannot continue. I have to stop, cool down, get into the support vehicle and pour water over myself before I can resume running,” De Roeck highlighted.

The hills have also been a major test, with even stretches of coast that appear relatively flat adding significant elevation over the course of a day.

“The combination of the heat, humidity and elevation has probably been the toughest part of completing the first 14 marathons,” he added.

Still, he’s pressing on.

Back at the base, the young people of Freedom Skatepark are cheering De Roeck on, alongside supporters following his journey on social media.

According to Blake Burnett, project manager at the Freedom Skatepark Foundation, the young people in the community have reacted with “a mixture of amazement and gratitude” to De Roeck’s challenge.

“Some of them are wondering why Michael would put himself through so much physical suffering, but they also understand that he is doing it to support them and are deeply appreciative,” Burnett told GoodHeart. “Many of the children were waiting at Freedom Skatepark to run alongside him at the start of the challenge. Some accompanied him for the first two miles, as far as the border between St Thomas and St Andrew. We are also planning for members of the skateboarding community to skate alongside Michael during the final stretch of his journey back to the park.”

As for the fundraising campaign, Burnett shared that the response has been positive, although the total raised so far has not matched the scale of the challenge.

additional supporters

“We are hopeful that, as he approaches the final marathon and more people become aware of the magnitude of the challenge, additional supporters will contribute. At a minimum, we hope to raise enough to purchase a minibus, which would significantly strengthen our ability to reach schools and communities and provide more young people with access to Freedom Skatepark’s programmes,” he explained.

The wider campaign is also aimed at funding a daily nutrition programme and expanding the Peace, Love, Edu-Skate programme, which uses skateboarding, education and mentorship to create structured opportunities for young people.

For De Roeck, the finish line is not the end of the campaign. He hopes the attention generated by the run will continue to benefit Freedom Skatepark long after he completes the 500 miles.

“My friend Tim [Rockel] is documenting the journey, and we hope to produce a documentary that can be screened in different places, support speaking engagements and enable us to continue fundraising beyond the final marathon,” he noted.

The run itself will end, but De Roeck hopes the awareness and support generated along the way will have a longer life.

Those interested in supporting the Freedom Skatepark 500 can make a donation through the campaign’s GoFundMe page: www.gofundme.com/f/support-freedom-skatepark-foundation-usa

goodheart@gleanerjm.com