New Delhi, Jul 21 (Olympics news) She has endured multiple fractures to the skull and broken her wrist and hand but none of it has managed to come in the way of 13-year-old skateboarder Sky Brown's dream to be at the Tokyo Olympics, where she will become the youngest Brit to compete in the Summer Games.
The prodigiously talented Brown was involved in a life-threatening training accident last May. The skateboarder was trying to jump over a gap between two vertical ramps before she lost control mid-air and plummeted to the ground. The fall was about 15 feet.
"I honestly don't really remember the day. It was me just skating like any day, and me just trying to get this trick," Brown told PTI ahead of the launch of the 'Reaching the Sky' documentary on Discovery+, which is streaming now in India.
"The trick I did before I fell is called a front alley oop, and you basically do a little spin in the air, where you can't see what's behind you. So when I landed and I realised I was at the gap, I just couldn't do anything and just had to bow out," she added.
The 2019 world championship bronze medallist in the park event had to be taken to the hospital aboard a helicopter.
"I don’t remember but my parents said to me that it was a hard time, lots of blood came out and I got knocked out for a long time, so it was really hard but I am glad I made it through!" The accident didn't deter Brown from her aim to compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding will make its debut. But her parents were less than enthusiastic.
"For me it was pretty easy, I wasn't scared at all – it was hard for my parents to let me get back on the board. It made me a stronger and better person.
"But it was definitely hard to persuade my parents to let me go back on the skateboard – they were like 'no don't do it, do something else like dancing or going surfing’! I love them but I couldn't stop skateboarding!" Brown said.
Brown will compete in the women's park skateboarding event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Aged 13 years and 23 days, she will surpass Margery Hinton, who was 13 years and 44 days when she swam at Amsterdam in 1928.
"My goal is to push boundaries and to close the gender gap. Everyone is doing it right now, other girls are doing it, it’s so cool… to inspire girls. People don’t know how many girls are skating and so many good ones too. I think it’s really going to inspire girls and kids.” Brown, who boasts of 8,40,000 followers on Instagram, is an avid vlogger. She feels young girls will be inspired to take up the sport when they see her doing "crazy stuff" with the skateboard.
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"I love making vlogs, I love watching them. I feel like making vlogs and YouTube can inspire and show girls that I am a regular girl just like you, doing skateboarding and crazy stuff. I think it’s a good way to inspire girls” Born to a Japanese mother and an English father, Brown reflected on why she chose to represent Great Britain and how she had to beg her parents to give her permission.
"I wanted to do Olympics really bad when I first heard they were going to do Olympic skateboarding, but my parents didn't want me to. They thought it was going to be too much pressure and competition.
"Team GB skateboarding texted us and Facetimed us and said, 'Just get out there. There’s no pressure. You can quit anytime.' I feel like the UK is very relaxed and that’s why we thought the UK was better and that’s why we did it. I begged my parents, they still said no but I begged them and begged them and then they said OK, yes."
News source: PTI
