Sky Brown, 15, is the youngest pro skateboarder in the world. The British Japanese skater, who is also a surfer, competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she won a bronze medal in the park event. You might remember when she also made history at the Vans US Open in 2016, at the mere age of 8. She also starred in and won “Dancing With the Stars: Juniors” in 2018.
As part of POPSUGAR’s series highlighting young athletes making their mark, Brown reflected on getting more girls into skating, her Hollywood dreams for the future, and more. Read it all, in her own words, below. And to hear more athletes’ stories, check out For the W.
I never feel that much pressure other than what I put on myself. I want to raise the bar in female skateboarding and inspire the next generation, but the other thing is that I’m only 15 and I have nothing to lose.
I want to raise the bar in female skateboarding.
It’s pretty easy to balance training and “normal life.” I start my days early, usually surfing (which is always with some buddies), and then I get back home in time for school. I’m very motivated with my studies, because I want to be smart, and I’m lucky because I have a lot of really good friends around me that make my everyday super fun.
Skateboarding and surfing are the best feeling in the world. There is nothing that compares to it: it’s free, it’s fun and exciting. My friend group pushes me, and I love the feeling of getting better. I’m addicted.
I also think I’m lucky because skating and surfing are really good for my mind. Yes, they are competitive sports, but they are also just my lifestyle, and they help me to balance life in many ways.
The truth is, I love and do a lot of different things. I like to dance and play soccer and tennis; I think mixing things up keeps everything exciting, and I think it helps me with my skateboarding.
Looking to the future, I would love to have multiple gold medals and be in a big movie or TV show. And I’d love doing something that spreads the stoke of skate and surf around the world.
