For the 23rd daily installment of Big Wheel Blading’s Inline Skating and Life During COVID-19 series we talk to Dominika Drzemicka. Dominika is a 27-year-old inline skater and mathematician living in Kanie, 20 km outside Warsaw, Poland. She is in her last stage of mathematics studies and tutors children and young people. Last year Dominika skated 5,457.22 miles (8,782.54 km) to take 8th place on Big Wheel Blading’s 2019 Inline Skating Distance Challenge.
What is the current situation with COVID-19 in Poland?
All schools, museums, theaters, cinema and hairdressers are closed. Restaurants only provide delivery and pickup, while all hotels and tourism is closed. Essential businesses like grocery stores, drugstores and pharmacies are still open. Only a few people are allowed into these stores, so you can observe very long queues outside the doors. We can not enter parks and forests. We must maintain a distance of 2 meters from other people and can only have gatherings of up to 2 people. All sports events and mass events have been canceled or postponed. I have heard of very high fines for leaving the house for non-essential reasons. Starting on April 16th we are required to wear masks outside the home.
Are you still skating? If so, what precautions are you taking to stay safe?
Of course I skate, rollerblading is a big and very important part of my life.
Until the pandemic, rollerblading was my main mode of transportation and it still is. I’ve completely given up public transportation and avoid cities.
Now my work is mainly online, so I rarely leave the house.
Where are you skating?
Now that I don’t drive everyday, I try to go out and skate at least 3 times a week to discover interesting places in my area. I try to make short trips, staying 20-30 km from my home. I am glad that I live in a small town outside Warsaw, because I can skate far away from people and admire beautiful sunsets.
What would make you stop skating?
I hope they don’t implement a total ban. Currently I don’t know what could stop.
What other activities are you doing to occupy your time?
Now I try to spend my free time on skates, because I want to take advantage of the empty roads. I also like to draw very much.
How has COVID-19 affected your normal everyday life?
I am very sad about the current situation, I miss my friends and family. Even though I’ve always kept away from the crowds, I feel very alone. There are many pluses, for example, I’ve discovered some beautiful places and everything is so clean and empty.
What are your major concerns right now and looking into the future?
Despite the difficult situation, I try to think positively. I hope that the situation will stabilize as soon as possible and that there will be no more bans.
How is the skate community in Warsaw responding?
Due to the limitation that only two people can meet at a time, most people are skating alone or in pairs. The majority of skaters do not want to deal with the police, so are following the rules. I am glad they are not giving up completely and sometimes you can run into another skater while out skating. In Poland inline skating is a very popular sport. I am sad that the night skate season in Poland has been postponed and that all marathons will now take place only in autumn. We had also planned long-distance trips around Poland, which I was going to take part of for the first time.
We miss the company of our of skaters, but we look forward to abetter tomorrow.
Do you have anything you’d like to add?
It’s good that there are so many positive and helpful people in skating.
I cordially greet all the skaters out there. Take care! It will all end soon and we will be able to return to a new life!
Links
- Follow Dominika Drzemicka on Instagram.
- To find our about Warsaw Night Skating visit nightskatingwarszawa.pl.
- You can also follow Warsaw Night Skating on Facebook and Instagram.
- Go to Inline Skating and Life During COVID-19 to read more interviews from skaters from around the world.
- Go to Essential Workers – Inline Skaters on the Front Lines of COVID-19 to read about inline skaters from around the world who are considered Essential Workers.
- For our full COVID-19 coverage go here.
- Contact Big Wheel Blading for and questions, suggestions or ideas.
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