Sky Brown, aged 13, won reality TV show and learned skateboarding from YouTube before winning bronze at Tokyo Olympics
AS success stories go, they don’t come from anyone younger than Sky Brown.
At just 13 years and 28 days, the skateboarding whizz has won bronze at Tokyo 2020.
She has made history in becoming Great Britain’s youngest ever medallist, after scoring a brilliant final run of 56.47 in the inaugural women’s park run.
Born in Japan, Sky was raised by mother Mieko and British father Stu.
Incredibly, she doesn’t have a skateboarding coach – learning tricks by watching YouTube.
She rides with Olympic legend Shaun White – the American snowboarder called the ‘Flying Tomato’.
But the sky really is the limit for Brown, who has already achieved so much in her life.
From appearing on Dancing with the Stars to authoring her own book, there’s no stopping our new superstar of Tokyo 2020.
EARLY START
Brown lives in Miyazaki with her parents and has a skateboard ramp in her own backyard because there are no skateboard parks in her hometown.
But astonishingly, she began competing professionally at the tender age of eight.
However, it was a debut she would want to forget at the Vans US Open, where she wiped out in the heat round.
In 2017, she showed her promise by finishing runner-up in the Asian Continental finals.
By this time, at just 10, Brown became a professional athlete – the youngest professional skateboarder in the world.
That alerted sportswear giants Nike, who offered her a mega-sponsorship deal.
So enamoured by her talents, they thrusted her into the limelight in a TV ad alongside Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and tennis legend Serena Williams.
Her popularity has seen her social media status soar – and she already has one million followers on Instagram.
‘LUCKY TO BE ALIVE’
In 2020, Brown’s Olympic dream could’ve been over.
While training in California, she suffered a terrible fall from a half-ramp which left her with several fractures in her skull, as well as a broken wrist and hand.
She was flown to hospital, where paramedics declared she was unresponsive.
Brown pulled through, with her father admitting she was “lucky to be alive”.
The then-12-year-old confessed it was her worst fall yet, but remained determined to get back to full fitness for Olympic glory.
So determined, she even suggested she would compete in another of her favourite pastimes – surfing – at the delayed 2020 Olympics.
REALITY TV WINNER
As her legend in sport grew, Sky began to receive offers from TV shows.
Most memorably, she appeared on Dancing with the Stars: Juniors – the American version of Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
Of course, she won it. Starring alongside JT Church, her salsa routine dazzled the audience and viewers to win the vote.
Her arrival on the dancefloor before that set-piece on a skateboard drew roars from the crowd.
Afterwards, grateful Brown addressed her adoring fans.
“There are NO words, the picture says it all….,” she wrote on Instagram, thanking “everyone that supported me and my team that (helped) me believe in myself.
“I Can’t believe it, we WON the First Ever @dwtsjuniors,” she continued. “I put my whole heart out there and had so much fun.”
SKY’S THE LIMIT
Last year, Sky continued her domination and became an inspiration for other pre-teens.
With a reality TV win under her belt, and set for worldwide stardom in skateboarding, there was only one thing left to do… to document it all.
She penned her first book, the aptly titled ‘Sky’s the Limit: Words of Wisdom from a Young Champion’.
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It features inspirational quotes accompanied photos of her in action and with family.
Her motto throughout the book is, ‘Be brave, be strong, have fun, and do it because you love it!’
It’s a phrase that served Sky well as she won bronze at Tokyo 2020.
