Some women in China are finding out they do not have to be skilled like 15-year-old Olympic champion Nishiya Momiji of Japan to enjoy skateboarding. There is a version of skateboarding called surfskating that is a little easier for older people to learn. The city sport is giving women, like 40-year-old Mina Zhao, some time off from their COVID-19 worries. Zhao said she felt “cooped up” by Beijing’s recent COVID-19 restrictions. The measures closed exercise centers like gyms and parks. But she discovered surfskating on social media and decided to give it a try. She learned by going to a free lesson near Beijing’s famous Water Cube swimming stadium in May. At that time, the lessons had about 12 people. Now almost 100 come each week to learn from the teacher, a professional dancer named Duo Lan. Zhao even brings her husband and son. She said skateboarding “is having a positive effect” on her life. She said she has lost some weight and is not feeling as bad about how COVID restrictions may hurt her child’s education. Zhao said she feels good about herself now and she feels better spending more time away from home. She even changed her hair color. It is now lighter than her natural color. She said the sport helps her feel comfortable being herself.
Title: Chinese Women Turn to Skateboarding to Lower COVID Tension
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/A21.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Chinese Women Turn to Skateboarding to Lower COVID Tension' data-article-id='6178'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='14708'>Some women in China are finding out they do not have to be skilled like 15-year-old Olympic champion Nishiya Momiji of Japan to enjoy skateboarding.</span> <span data-start-time='14708' data-end-time='24521'>There is a version of skateboarding called surfskating that is a little easier for older people to learn.</span> <span data-start-time='24521' data-end-time='33854'>The city sport is giving women, like 40-year-old Mina Zhao, some time off from their COVID-19 worries.</span> <span data-start-time='33854' data-end-time='41417'>Zhao said she felt “cooped up” by Beijing’s recent COVID-19 restrictions. </span> <span data-start-time='41417' data-end-time='47438'>The measures closed exercise centers like gyms and parks. </span> <span data-start-time='47438' data-end-time='54604'>But she discovered surfskating on social media and decided to give it a try.</span> <span data-start-time='54604' data-end-time='61917'>She learned by going to a free lesson near Beijing’s famous Water Cube swimming stadium in May. </span> <span data-start-time='61917' data-end-time='66813'>At that time, the lessons had about 12 people. </span> <span data-start-time='66813' data-end-time='77271'>Now almost 100 come each week to learn from the teacher, a professional dancer named Duo Lan.</span> <span data-start-time='77271' data-end-time='81771'>Zhao even brings her husband and son.</span> <span data-start-time='81771' data-end-time='87250'>She said skateboarding “is having a positive effect” on her life. </span> <span data-start-time='87250' data-end-time='96583'>She said she has lost some weight and is not feeling as bad about how COVID restrictions may hurt her child’s education.</span> <span data-start-time='96583' data-end-time='106479'>Zhao said she feels good about herself now and she feels better spending more time away from home. </span> <span data-start-time='106479' data-end-time='109125'>She even changed her hair color. </span> <span data-start-time='109125' data-end-time='112583'>It is now lighter than her natural color.</span> <span data-start-time='112583' data-end-time='116854'>She said the sport helps her feel comfortable being herself.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/A21.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18770 data-hint-location='54604' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_lesson.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word lesson?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='an activity that you do in order to learn something'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/an_activity_that_you_do_in_order_to_learn_something.wav'><span>an activity that you do in order to learn something</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/something_lower_in_terms_of_rank_or_quality.wav'><span>something lower in terms of rank or quality</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/grace_said_before_or_after_a_meal.wav'><span>grace said before or after a meal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/an_advantage.wav'><span>an advantage</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18771 data-hint-location='77271' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/who_else_does_the_woman_in_the_story_bring_to_her_lessons.wav'>Who else does the woman in the story bring to her lessons?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='husband and son'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/husband_and_son.wav'><span>husband and son</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/mother_and_father.wav'><span>mother and father</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/two_daughters.wav'><span>two daughters</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/aunt_and_uncle.wav'><span>aunt and uncle</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18772 data-hint-location='106479' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/she_even_changed_her__blank__color_.wav'>She even changed her <span class='blank'>hair</span> color. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='hair'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/hair.wav'><span>hair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/fair.wav'><span>fair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/here.wav'><span>here</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/there.wav'><span>there</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5611/A21.wav
Preview
