Growing up in Peru, Nancy Chavez developed a passion for skateboarding. As the only female skater in her neighborhood, she recruited other girls in the area and helped to develop their skills on the board. Eventually, Nancy and her fellow skateboarders formed a tournament, which allowed them to meet female skaters from other cities and created a community. That was the beginning of PeruSkateGirl.

What started as a few girls on boards is now a fully operational non-profit with over 800 female skaters participating in clinics, tournaments, and weekly activities. “PeruSkateGirl has been quite a journey, and I am very happy about our progress. I didn’t create it for the numbers. I created it so other girls could experience happiness like I did. PeruSkateGirl is a place where girls can feel good about themselves and learn to achieve things in life, to be healthy and productive individuals.”

Nancy funds PeruSkateGirl through her own work as a freelance journalist and photographer. She also maintains extensive social media sites and works in local communities to attract young girls to the program.