PROFESSIONAL skateboarder Preston Pollard had been at the Town Beach skate park for less than five minutes this morning and he was happily chatting to local park users.
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It was as though they were long-lost friends who hadn't seen each other for years.
Mr Pollard is in Port Macquarie for the Groundswell event to be held tomorrow night from 6.30pm in the People Builders Church underneath Port Panthers.
The event is held all over New South Wales where Youth Alive hosts large scale events designed so that young people can bring their friends, their youth ministries and schools to experience incredible praise and worship.
Inspiring speakers and great local and international bands and artists are also part of the event.
It runs for a month with stops in Tamworth, Lismore, Coffs Harbour, Warners Bay, Chatswood, Charnwood, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Erina, Waterloo, Baulkam Hills, Sutherland, Hoxton Park and Port Macquarie.
"I'll share with the kids my vision and my dreams and goals," Mr Pollard said.
"A lot of time youth don't have those things and I want to share my story where I came from and the feeling where people wanted to place me in a box because I was ADD and a special ed student. I was told I was going to be a nobody and not going to do anything.
"At the age of 18 I became Christian and got into skateboarding and wanted to help the youth."
Pollard will visit Westport High School this afternoon before attending the skate park from 4pm where he will meet and greet the youth from around the Hastings.
"No matter what they're going through I want to motivate them and inspire them. They're here for a reason," he said.