Warriors on Board: Kickflips, Creativity, and the Journey to Healing

Wounded Warrior Project helps veterans transform skate decks into symbols of mental resilience and growth

Launched as a bold fusion of art therapy and skate culture, the Warriors on Board campaign by Wounded Warrior Project® invited 11 veterans from across the nation and Puerto Rico to design custom skateboards as a means of creative healing. More than just a project, it became a lifeline, offering veterans a new way to process their experiences, connect with others, and turn their stories into rolling works of art.

“I’m really stoked that Wounded Warrior Project is doing something so cool like this for veterans and giving them a safe place to be creative and get vulnerable, because that’s where we grow,” said Ryan Sheckler, professional skateboarder. “It’s not just about a physical injury; it’s about an invisible injury as well. I think we really need to take mental health seriously.”

Meet four veterans who transformed their personal journeys into powerful works of art and learn more about what inspired their designs.

Silencing the Demons

Jeff, an Iowa native, served two tours in Iraq as a military police officer with the 10th Mountain Division, first from 2006 to 2008, and again in 2009. He began noticing problems with his memory and sharp pain in his head. Eventually, he lost his short-term memory altogether. Doctors traced his symptoms back to a rocket strike on his vehicle during his first deployment. Jeff also struggled with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and, in 2011, the military medically discharged him.

“A lot of people, when they hear you were medically retired, start looking for a physical injury and are like, ‘Oh, you got hurt?’” said Jeff. "They don’t see what’s going on in your head. It’s those unseen things, those skeletons, those demons, that you’re dealing with alone because nobody can figure out what it looks like.”

That’s what inspired him to design his skateboard. He illustrates his inner demons – PTSD, depression, and anxiety – as dark shadows. A Band-Aid sits on top, quieting the demons and giving way to vibrant flowers representing recovery and resilience.

Jeff has had a creative side for as long as he can remember. When he couldn’t express his feelings, especially during hard times, he would draw a picture instead.

In 2023, Jeff decided to turn the passion he had found for art into a full-time business, called WarHawk Designs. This new venture allows him to silence inner pain and focus on what he’s most passionate about – art.

“I get lost in it; it’s my happy, safe place,” said Jeff. “Everything else just goes away. I’m not thinking about that day’s stress, or my knee being messed up, or my back hurting – I’m just in the piece that I’m working on at that moment.”

IGY6

Yolanda Jones spent more than a combined 17 years across active-duty Army and Army National Guard, and Air Force National Guard. After two tours in Iraq as a flight medic, she returned home with a serious neck injury. Soon, the physical pain of that injury gave way to a deeper, undeniable mental pain she couldn’t ignore.

For years, she tried to manage the pain on her own. Eventually, though, she sought help. She found therapies and retreats where she confronted the trauma she had endured and began to heal. As a medic, she had seen the unimaginable, but she also carried the weight of military sexual trauma (MST), something she initially tried to brush aside. The weight of her experiences left her feeling lost and unsure of who she was.

“Before, if you asked me if I loved myself, that question would bring me to tears,” said Yolanda.“But now, I think of myself as a phoenix – I know that self-love and self-care is not selfish.” 

Art is a form of self-care for Yolanda, who has found a true passion for it. Whether designing T-shirts or carving a chainsaw, she finds peace in every form of self-expression. “I don’t think when I’m making art,” she said. “I just feel the colors and see what happens.”

She said the skateboard canvas meant more to her than just another piece of artwork. It was a unique opportunity to share her message of self-love with others. It’s written on her board alongside a poem, titled IGY6, and the No. 22. This number symbolizes the estimated 22 veterans lost to suicide each day. While the Department of Veterans Affairs now reports 17 veterans are lost to suicide each day, the number 22 remains a powerful symbol of awareness and remembrance. For Yolanda, it honors the brothers and sisters who sacrificed with her.

While her board offers hope and spreads awareness about mental health, creating it also served as a personal release for Yolanda. She focused on the abstract, even bringing that into the way she physically painted the board. She used everything from brushes and sponges to scrapers and a windshield wiper to create the unique design. 

Creativity is Yolanda’s happy place. Luckily, it brings her joy and joy to other people. Her main message is simple: make each other smile. Every day, find someone to bring a little cheer to.

“See a veteran, hug a veteran,” Yolanda said. “You never know what that can change for someone.”

Perseverance

U.S. Coast Guard veteran Marcia Medina was riding the metro in Washington, DC, on the morning of 9/11 when news of the terrorist attacks broke. As she evacuated her train, she made a life-changing decision: she would serve her country and fight for freedom.

For the next 17 years, she did exactly that. Now retired, Marcia channels her journey into art. Her skateboard design reflects “perseverance,” a word she uses to describe herself today, along with resilient, constantly growing, and never backing down to life’s challenges.

“I have a hard time communicating with words, and it’s easier for me to show what’s in my heart with writing and painting,” Marcia said. “I like the idea of having a voice in the world again.”

The centerpiece of her skateboard is a dragon—a symbol rich with meaning—but one she had never tried to paint before. She said that the challenge was part of the fun of doing something so different from her traditional nature-inspired artwork. Not only was this a new kind of canvas, but it was a new inspiration, too.

“To me, the dragon symbolizes my feelings about the military and life in general,” said Marcia. "It represents heroism, intelligence, dignity, achievement, wisdom, and perseverance."

Spud Life

As a third-generation service member, former military nurse, and Air Force veteran, Melissa McMahon never imagined healing could look like bulldogs on a skateboard. But after years of navigating the highs and lows of military service and the transition back to the civilian world, she found that art was more than just a creative outlet. It’s a bridge back to herself.

Military life left Melissa carrying a weight she couldn’t always put into words. Through WWP, she connected with other veterans who understood what she was going through. Along the way, she discovered a love for watercolor. Whether painting in her “art and chat” support group or reflecting on her time in WWP programs like Project Odyssey, Melissa is finding joy again.

Now, with a brush in one hand and her loyal service dogs by her side, she’s putting that joy (and her companions) on wheels, literally.

“My two boys make me laugh and keep me busy, so I dedicated this piece to them," said Melissa, who said her bulldogs remind her of giant potatoes, thus the name of her skateboard design.

"They’re the yin and yang in my life. We all need balance.”

Healing in Motion

The journey to improved mental health and healing is ongoing. For these veterans and others who participated in Warriors on Board, these skateboard decks may have started as blank canvases, but they turned into something far more powerful. Each design became a bridge connecting the veteran to who they were, what they’ve been through, and who they’re becoming. Their journey continues.

In each brushstroke, there's a story of resilience, a moment of peace, and a reclaiming of joy. Creativity isn’t just a hobby. It’s a form of therapy and a reminder that healing doesn’t have to happen in silence.

Transforming trauma into artistry and skateboard decks into declarations of self-expression, these veterans prove that passion can lead to purpose and that healing isn’t always a straight path. Sometimes, it curves like the lines of a spray can or rolls with the rhythm of a skateboard.

Learn more about WWP’s mental health resources and connection programs for veterans.

Contact: Kaitlyn McCue, Public Relations, kmccue@woundedwarriorproject.org, 904.870.1964

About Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project is our nation’s leading veteran services organization, focused on the total well-being of post-9/11 wounded, ill, or injured veterans. Our programs, advocacy, and awareness efforts help warriors thrive, provide essential lifelines to families and caregivers, and prevent veteran suicides. Learn more about Wounded Warrior Project.