Mathew Taylor is 15 and already knows more about resilience than most of us learn in a lifetime.

He first stepped on a board at nine. Fell off it, like most of us do. Walked away. But a few years later, something clicked.

"I stopped for four years, but I made some pals who skated or wanted to start. I followed them."

He has been rolling ever since.

His setup? 8.5 deck. Thunders. Not sure on wheels, but that does not matter. The important bit is this: Mathew is out there skating in Perth, Scotland, in any weather he can get.

He had treflips for a while, but winter hit and the weather wiped that muscle memory clean. He will get them back. Lazerflips are on his hit list too. Still messes with his head a bit, but that is part of the game.

skating as a reset

For Mathew, skating does more than pass the time.

"Skating fixed me."

He does not overexplain it. Does not need to. There is something in those three words that says enough. It keeps his stress from building up. Clears his head. Grounds him when things feel heavy.

"When life gets tough, being on the board and hanging out with people who have had similar experiences helps. I learn from them."

One of his best recent memories? A road trip. Just him and a few good mates, hitting parks together. Simple, right? That is the good stuff.

He says not much has changed in skate culture since he started, mostly because he did not know much about it back then. But now he knows one thing for sure.

"Skating is for all ages. It is never too late to start."

why he keeps turning up

What keeps him turning up?

"My friends. And how skating helps me."

And what does it mean to him now?

"It is the love of my life."

That is it. No big metaphor needed.

This series is about people like Mathew. No hype. Just movement that matters.