Skateboarding sensation Sky Brown will bid to become the first female Team GB star in history to win gold in two separate sports at the same Olympic Games when Los Angeles hosts the event in 2028.
The 16-year-old competitor banked a skateboarding bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago, and she is planning to go at least one better in Paris over the next three weeks. Despite being one of the best in the world in her chosen craft, Brown is also an elite-level surfer, having narrowly failed to qualify for the 2024 Games on the water.
Her unique lifestyle in LA allows her to practice both sports, make friends and enjoy her rise to the top.
“I love LA, I live in LA, and so I think it’s a really good chance for me to qualify for both and get two gold medals for Britain,” Brown told The Telegraph. “People say it’s not possible to do both but that just puts an even bigger fire in my heart to prove them wrong.”
The teenager continued: “I don’t really like to go skating and surfing alone, I like having a crew with me that pushes me to skate and surf. I feel like we make memories that way.
“Yes, I do have tricks that can be scary, tricks I’ve got to do for a contest, new tricks I want to learn, but it pushes me when I’m with my friends and makes it more efficient. It’s like my playground.
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“I like to get up at five-ish and be the first one into the ocean. Come back, eat, do some school, then go skateboarding. If the weather is still good, I’m back in the ocean hanging out with my friends and then I have dinner with my family.”
Japan-born Brown is one of the most well-known names in Team GB’s Olympic squad. She became the youngest professional athlete to sign a sponsorship with Nike when she was only 10 years old.
By the age of 13 she had collected her first Olympic medal, and she became world champion the following year. “I have had a motto since I was young,” Brown explained. “‘Be brave, be strong, have fun, do it because you love it and don’t let anyone stop you’. It tells my story, too, and there’s definitely a message in there.”
Skateboarding at this summer’s Games kicks off with the men’s street contest on Saturday and continues with the women’s street contest on Sunday.
