This Is the Real Reason Sky Brown Is Repping Team G.B. at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
Published July 29 2021, 1:03 p.m. ET
At only 13, Sky Brown is the youngest skateboarder to represent the U.K. at the Summer Olympic Games. Born in Miyazaki, Japan, to a British father and a Japanese mother, Sky picked up her first skateboard at an extremely young age, and she has been unstoppable ever since.
She has already broken several records during her career. Her name is closely associated with the California skateboarding scene, but she will be competing for Team Great Britain at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Why?
Sky Brown is competing for Team Great Britain at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Why?
Sky spends a large chunk of her time in California, where she has been spotted in the company of fellow skateboarding legends like Tony Hawk. As many of her fans know, she became the youngest female skateboarder to attend the Vans U.S. Open Pro Series in 2016. Regardless, Sky doesn't have U.S. citizenship. This might explain why she isn't representing the U.S. at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Sky reportedly chose Team Great Britain over Team Japan because of their relaxed approach.
As Sky told BBC Sport, she chose Team Great Britain over Team Japan because of their laid-back mentality.
"The British Skateboarding Association, they told me 'No pressure, just have fun and get out there," Sky said in 2019. "So that's why I chose England."
So, when will Sky compete at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020?
Sky is set to make her debut at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Aug. 4, 2021, at the Women's Park Skateboarding event held at the Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo.
Sky suffered one of her worst injuries in 2020.
Sky fractured her skull and broke her left wrist and hand during a California training session in the summer of 2020.
"Sky landed head-first off a ramp on her hand," Sky's dad, Stuart Brown, told The Independent. "When she first came to hospital, everyone was fearful for her life. Sky had the gnarliest fall she's ever had and is lucky to be alive. Sky remains positive and strong. The whole medical team is shocked to see her positivity."
Several of Sky's family members share her keen interest in skateboarding.
As Sky revealed in an interview with Today, she prefers to practice skateboarding alone, without the help of a coach. As she shared, it was her dad, Stuart, who first introduced her to the sport. She also hinted in the interview that she still watches YouTube videos about skateboarding.
Sky and her little brother, Ocean, are both big fans of surfing and skateboarding. They frequently shoot YouTube videos capturing their practice sessions.
In addition to her blossoming career as a skateboarder, Sky is also a talented dancer.
Losing doesn't seem to exist in Sky's world. In 2018, she appeared on Season 1 of Dancing With the Stars: Juniors — and she came in first place at the competition.