We caught up with the brilliant and insightful JONATHAN SEGURA PEÑUELA a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
JONATHAN, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?
My relationship with sports and with the work I do today began very early, around the age of fourteen, in Tocancipá, a small town in Colombia known for extreme sports. Back then, I dreamed of rollerblading, jumping, learning tricks, and living on wheels, even before I owned my first pair of skates. When I finally got them, it felt like I had done this before. I learned on my own, practicing with friends in the streets and in the places where urban athletes gathered. There were many falls, but also a constant learning process that I was building for myself. Years later, I was able to work with a coach who helped me improve my technique and understand the importance of self-care.
As I moved through school, my desire to skate grew, and at the same time I watched my classmates start thinking about traditional careers, medicine, engineering, law. I, on the other hand, had this early intuition that through play, creativity, and sport, it was possible to create change in people and in the community, especially in vulnerable places. That idea stayed with me for a long time.
To keep training and learning, I had to take on different jobs that allowed me to save money to study and support the small sports projects I was starting to build with friends. That’s how my first real job in this field was born: a private club we created with people who shared our love for urban sports and play. Over time we realized that, on its own, it wasn’t sustainable, so I began presenting project proposals to local governments, public agencies, and organizations that supported sports initiatives.
After visiting several institutions, formalizing the club, organizing events, and building a track record in extreme sports, we eventually secured support to open the first urban sports school in the region. That was a key moment for me because it confirmed that it was possible to create opportunities through sport, even when the path wasn’t clear.
Today, when I look back, I feel proud of that journey. It was a path full of discipline, perseverance, and personal exploration. My first job wasn’t something I stumbled upon, it was something I built from scratch, driven by the passion I had as a teenager and the desire to help others experience what sport had given me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For those who haven’t heard of me before, I’m Jonathan Segura, a coach who has made rollerblading and urban sports a way of life. I started out driven by pure passion, and over time I discovered that teaching and creating sports programs was the most genuine way to share what skating has given me: discipline, community, and a sense of freedom that can truly change lives.
Today I teach roller skating to children, teenagers, and adults. I offer private lessons, group trainings, and also guide organizations that want to implement urban sports in a safe and structured way. For me, teaching is more than technique; it’s helping my students trust themselves, overcome fear, get back up after a fall, and discover what they are capable of when they feel supported.
What sets me apart is that I’ve lived this entire process from the ground up. I learned in the streets, with friends, with plenty of falls, and with the conviction that sports could open doors where there seemed to be none. That experience helps me connect with my students and adapt my teaching to each person, regardless of their age or level.
I’m very proud of everything I’ve built through sport. I’ve seen small groups turn into communities, I’ve seen schools grow, and I’ve watched students find their own rhythm. Here in the United States, I continue that journey: I’m a partner at Sports Club San José, a speed skating school in San Francisco, and I also run my own project, Rock and Rueda, where I teach Rollerblading Freestyle with the same excitement I had when I was a kid.
What I want people to know is that my work comes from the heart and from real experience. Skating transformed my life, and my mission is to bring that same opportunity to more people and more communities. I want anyone who trains with me to feel that this path can be theirs too.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Beyond training and technical knowledge, I believe the most important thing for succeeding in this field is real, lived experience, the kind you build by working with people of all ages and seeing the sport through their stories, their fears, and their hopes.
My students have taught me that this work is not just about rollerskating. Many of the adults I train were kids or teenagers who skated years ago and stopped because of school, work, or life. When they return, they’re trying to reconnect with that feeling of freedom, but now their bodies are different, their limits have changed, and they need to rediscover themselves. Walking with them through that process, with patience and respect, has taught me more than any course ever could.
Then there are the parents who want their children to learn, even when the kids are scared: scared of falling, of making mistakes, of not doing it “right.” In those moments, the challenge isn’t technical, it’s emotional. It’s understanding what they feel, helping them trust themselves, and allowing them to find their own passion without pressure. Seeing a child smile after overcoming fear is worth more than any medal or achievement.
And there are the groups, people who didn’t know each other before but end up forming supportive communities through the sport. That’s when you understand that skating goes way beyond learning a trick: it’s emotional health, mental well-being, and human connection.
That’s why I believe the key to growing in this profession is being present, listening, learning from each person, and remembering that sport is a human experience before it is a technical one. What truly makes a difference is not just what you teach, but how you support others in discovering what they can become.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The story of how I met my business partner in California is very special to me because it grew out of something simple and powerful: a shared passion for the sport. His name is Daniel Hernández, also Colombian, an athlete with a strong background and a big heart for teaching. Daniel had a sports Club in San José and Fremont, but he had been dreaming of expanding to San Francisco. That’s where life brought a little bit of serendipity.
We met at an entrepreneurship fair organized by the Colombian Consulate in the South Bay. After the event, we started following each other on social media. I saw his work, his dedication, and the beautiful way he connected with the community. He saw what I was building with Rock and Rueda. Even before we talked, we both felt that we shared a similar vision of what skating could mean for people.
When we finally sat down to talk, everything clicked. We talked about wanting to bring skating to more people, in a safe, fun, and meaningful way. But to create a real partnership, you have to do something important: trust. Make space. Take the risk of working with someone who already knows the local community and has been building something here. And I chose to trust.
That decision turned into a really special collaboration. Today we work together, combining his local experience with my background in sports projects, bringing skating to different communities and creating spaces where people feel welcome and supported. It was a natural and authentic connection, at exactly the right time.
And if there’s something this whole story has taught me, it’s that you can live from what you’re passionate about, there are always paths even when you can’t see them, and community is everything. I’m deeply grateful to all our students, most of them Latinoamerican immigrants, who have trusted us. They are our pride and the reason we keep growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jonathansp.framer.website/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPMTI0MDI0NTc0Mjg3NDE0AAGn2ZLAc92ev7u7N4eZj6vY6zgMp0_aoOXcFVeBfkEqRsxIo2vdszNx8v_A2ok_aem_Kc__nPx3sOfDkuiR3gEBTA
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rockandrueda?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&wa_status_inline=true
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/sportsclubsanjose?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
Image Credits
Juan Ríos Production