Sky Brown has just turned 13, already a professional skateboarder and a star. In Tokyo, she competes for Great Britain, her father’s home country – because you like the team’s attitude: just go out there and have fun!
It was a little strange. On Monday evening, July 5, 2021, ten journalists from all over Europe were sitting in their home offices at 10 p.m. waiting for a twelve-year-old to appear. A barely twelve-year-old, because on July 7th Sky Brown turned 13 and on July 23rd she will take part in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Sky competes in one of five new or re-added sports designed to rejuvenate the games: skateboarding. The native Japanese, who represents her father’s homeland, will be the youngest British Olympic participant.
The reason for the interview round is an image film that was shot on Sky, “Reaching the Sky”. A full-bodied title, but anyone who follows the girl’s social media channels knows: his mom is doing a good job. The guidelines for the interview are strict: Submit questions in advance because they need to be approved. Only fair, one thinks, after all, a child is sitting in front of the camera. It is 10.30 p.m. before Sky appears, she is in California at the moment, breakfast must have taken longer.
Sky comes in and shines
It must be special endorphins that the skateboarding triggers. Sky Brown has been on the board since she was two years old, but I read somewhere that she could skate before she could walk. Pictures from that time show that sport has always made you happy; parents cannot train their children to have such a facial expression. Even if, after Sky had a serious accident in May 2020, the headline was: “At 12 marketed until the skull fractured”, one does not get the impression that she is under the money of her parents. In the interview, the girl then tells her version.
A year ago you had a serious accident. What else can you remember
I don’t remember the day exactly. I was skating like every day. The trick I did before falling was you spin in the air and you can’t see what’s behind you. When I came down, I was right next to where I wanted to land, I couldn’t do anything anymore, there was a gap. It was a hard fall, I bled badly and was incapacitated for a long time. I’m glad I made it through
How did you get back to skating after an accident like this, physically but above all mentally?
For me it was very easy, I wasn’t afraid at all. It was hard for my parents to get back on the skateboard. I wanted to go straight back, so much time had passed. The accident made me stronger and a better person. But it was really hard to convince my parents. They said: No, don’t do that, do something else, go dancing or go surfing. I love her, but I couldn’t stop skating.
The skull fractures and the broken arm have healed, Sky behaves professionally in the interview and greets the journalists: inside, friendly and in a good mood. She has almost certainly heard all of the questions that will be asked in the next 45 minutes, but she answers them patiently. Sky talks about her role models in skating, for example the 28-year-old Brazilian Letícia Bufoni: “She doesn’t skate in the park like I do, but on the street. She was told she was one girly girlbut she never gives up. I really look up to her. “Bufoni became the first woman to win the Street League Skateboarding Women’s SLS Super Crown World Championship in Chicago and is a pioneer in the recognition of female skaters in sports sponsorship.
Sky also wants to be a role model for others. She likes to teach less experienced skaters: inside new tricks, her first student was her little brother Ocean. “I love to skate with my dad and brother. We push each other and make us laugh in the air. It’s great. Skateboarding definitely brings us closer together.” Teaching children to skate could also be imagined by Sky as a future profession. At the moment, however, she is specifically aiming to get more girls interested in the sport, because they are still severely underrepresented.
That’s why Sky is particularly looking forward to meeting her peers in Tokyo, such as 14-year-old Lilly Stoephasius from Berlin. “She’s so cool, I see her in almost every competition and on social media, she puts out so many cool skate clips. She inspires me too. When you see other young girls trying so hard, you are making yourself tough too more soon. It will be great to meet Lilly there too. ” Here you can see a video about the 14-year-old German skateboarder Lilly Stoephasius, who is also taking part in the Olympic Games.
“Those who believe in themselves can do anything”
In Tokyo, Sky starts for Great Britain mainly because she likes the team’s attitude. “At first my parents didn’t want me to take part because there was too much pressure and competition. But the GB skateboarding team is different, they say: Just go out there and have fun. You can stop at any time.” When asked whether there is a particular competitor she would like to defeat, Sky reacts diplomatically: “No, I don’t want to defeat anyone. I want to defeat myself. I want to be better than I believe myself to be. Me I’ll do my best and see what happens. ”
When Sky starts raving about her sport, her eyes light up, and so does the rest of her body. She describes skating as follows: “It’s the best feeling in the world. It’s really exciting because sometimes you don’t know if you’re landing properly. And when you feel the air, it almost feels like flying, it makes you happy.” ” At the next Olympic Games she would like to compete in two disciplines, skating and surfing. She seems to live the message she has for other children one hundred percent: “Believe in yourself! Those who believe in themselves can do anything. Do your best and above all: Enjoy it and have fun!”
Sky Brown tritt am 4. August im Women’s Park an:
2 a.m. German time: Park, women, elimination runs (Ariake Urban Sports Park)
5.30 a.m. German time: Park, women, finals (Ariake Urban Sports Park)
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
