Sky Brown: The 10-year-old British skateboarder aiming to make history at Tokyo
- Published
Prepare to feel a pang of envy, courtesy of a 10-year-old.
The agonisingly cool Sky Brown surfs, skateboards and dances, and hopes to become Britain's youngest ever summer Olympian by appearing at the Tokyo Games next year - she'll be just 12.
Born in Miyazaki, Japan, to a British father and Japanese mother, Sky was on Thursday named as part of Great Britain's skateboarding team aiming for the Olympics.
And, although there is still the small matter of qualifying to overcome, Sky doesn't seem to let barriers bother her.
"I just want to get out there, have fun and I don't really know who I'm competing with or any of that stuff," she told BBC Sport.
As you would expect from a surfer, Sky has a pretty laid-back attitude to life, but don't let that fool you - she is as determined as they come.
"I feel like it doesn't matter how old you are," she added. "I'm tiny and I'm going to be in this huge competition! You can do anything, no matter what age you are.
"Sometimes I just want to beat myself and I want to do what boys do. Why do boys get to have all the fun? I think girls can do whatever boys can do."
Sky, who lives in Miyazaki but spends much of the year in the US, first came to public notice when she became Nike's youngest signing, with giant posters of the pint-sized skater appearing in stores all over the United States.
She also appeared in their most recent campaign,, external featuring icons of women's sport, including gymnast Simone Biles, and athletes Caster Semenya and Dina Asher-Smith.
In 2016, aged eight, Sky became the youngest person ever to compete at the Vans US Open, and although she did not take home a medal, she still placed higher than women 20 years older than her.
In February, she won gold at Simple Session, a senior women's competition in Tallin, Estonia, on a park course designed for men twice her size.
Sky has the 'potential' to compete at Olympic level, according to Ed Leigh, Ski Sunday presenter and boardsports expert.
"While the tricks and the style are already in place, Sky doesn't yet have the power or speed to compete in the huge bowls where the comps are held," said Leigh.
"But this will be invaluable experience for her and make no mistake she will be one of the world's best but she just has to get a bit bigger!"
And to skating and surfing can be added dancing - Sky won the US equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing for kids - 'Dancing with the Stars: Juniors' - in December 2018.
The added exposure has given her a wide reach on Instagram - she has 300,000 followers so far.
And she has turned her high profile to the cause of the less fortunate.
Having visited Cambodia with her parents, she was inspired to help children her age without access to clean water and education.
In a collaboration with a board manufacturer and charity partner, Sky designed a skateboard, with the profits of the sales going to fund skate schools for underprivileged children in poorer areas of the world.
Her board has so far raised over $17,000 (around £13,000).
"My dream is to keep on travelling around the world, keep skating, keep surfing and keep being a kid. I especially want to go to underprivileged countries and help those kids."
Travelling the world, skating, surfing, encouraging young women to push boundaries while using her extraordinary ability and profile to raise money for good causes - Sky Brown could be her generation's icon.
Analysis - 'She will be one of the world's best but she just has to get a bit bigger!'
Ed Leigh, Ski Sunday presenter and action sports broadcaster
I first saw Sky circulating on the internet a couple of years ago. Women's skateboarding has been progressing at a phenomenal rate over the past five years in terms of both the standard and participation but, even in this incredible wave of fresh talent, Sky stood out as rare.
Can she compete at an Olympic level? Potentially. While the tricks and the style are already in place, Sky doesn't yet have the power or speed to compete in the huge bowls where comps are held.
But this will be invaluable experience for her. Make no mistake she will be one of the world's best but she just has to get a bit bigger!
Sky is part of a huge change in skateboarding. For the past two decades it has been moving (albeit glacially slowly) closer to the mainstream of sport. Women's skateboarding is arguably the most progressive area of the sport right now and the way Sky is already getting skateboarding out there, inspiring girls and boys, means there will be a new generation of skateboarders who will truly blow people's minds.
Skateboarding's biggest hurdle has always been participation. Everyone kicks a ball, but very few people pick up a board. Imagine what will happen to the level when, post-Tokyo, three times as many kids give it a go?
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