Girl Gains Internet Attention At 7 For Skateboarding In A Fairy Costume, Becomes Olympic Champion At 13

Jul 30, 2021 by apost team

Skateboarding is a sport typically dominated by men at the professional level. However, one young girl is making waves in the world of skateboarding by competing in the 2021 Olympics and taking home a medal. Rayssa Leal, 13, of Brazil, has become one of the youngest athletes to win an Olympic medal after competing in the first-ever women's street skateboarding event in Tokyo.

Leal's incredible journey began when she was six and got her first skateboard as a gift. The young girl said that it was difficult for her at first, but she has always loved the sport. At age seven, Leal went viral when a video of her skateboarding in a fairy costume reached the feed of professional skateboarder Tony Hawk. Hawk encouraged the young skater and introduced her talent to the world of professional skateboarding. In the video, you see Leal fall twice before nailing a challenging move in slow motion.

Leal never gave up, and at the age of 13, she competed in the Olympics and won a silver medal. Momiji Nishiya, another 13-year-old, took home the gold. 16-year-old Funa Nakayama was the bronze winner in the event. One of the other highlights of the day was seeing Leal practicing and getting tips from Tony Hawk before the competition. 

Now that Leal has competed at the highest level in the sport of skateboarding, she has nowhere to go but up. She is an inspiration for young girls everywhere, especially those who love to skateboard. Keep reading to learn more about this very talented skateboarding queen. 

When Tony Hawk first saw Leal's video at age seven, he had no idea who she was but loved her skills. He wrote on his Twitter account when he shared the video: "I don't know anything about this but it's awesome: a fairytale heelflip in Brazil by #RayssaLeal" Neither of the two skateboarders realized that their paths would cross again in the future. 

In 2021, six years after that video went viral, Leal is competing with skateboarders from all over the world. She shared photos of her and Hawk at the Olympics in Tokyo on her Instagram account and wrote the caption: "Six years ago he introduced me to the world of skateboarding by sharing my video wearing a fairy costume. Today, he filmed me at the Olympics. This is all so amazing, I'm living a dream!"

Leal added at the end of the caption, "Thank you @tonyhawk for being so kidding and always motivating me." Hawk responded kindly, writing in the replies, "You have exceeded all expectations! It's been an honor to be involved in some small way. And thanks for the clips!"

In an interview with Dew Tour, Leal shared the story of getting her first skateboard. "I got a skateboard as a birthday present when I was six and I started riding it around the house. My dad had some friends who were skateboarders and I started riding with them on the street, but my skateboard was too big for me and I didn't have that much strength in my legs yet. But I practiced a lot and I got to a point where I didn't have so much trouble anymore," Leal said.

apost.com

When asked in the same interview if there was a moment she knew she could compete at the professional level, Leal responded, "There was not a moment when I realized that I could compete, it just happened. I skate because I like it and have fun doing it. And I also really like being able to get to know new people and places. Skateboarding gives me that."

Fortunately, Leal's family is incredibly loving and supportive of her endeavors. "They don't pressure me to always win and be first, they encourage me to do what I like, which is skateboarding," she said. "Their support, along with the lack of pressure, allows me to be calmer and more relaxed to have fun all the time, even during tournaments."

Leal added, "When you are on a skateboard, you fall a lot and need to get up and try again to get the trick right. The same goes for tournaments. I know I won't always win, but I will always try to win! And I'm also happy to know that I inspire other girls who want to be skateboarders, and that's as good as getting up on the podium." Lucky for her, Leal took home a medal and had the chance to inspire young girls from around the world.

The teen skater is outspoken about girls following their passions, no matter their age or background. Leal said, "Everyone, especially girls, should do whatever they like. Don't worry about discrimination, because we girls can be whatever we want to be."

Are you impressed by Leal's talent at age 13? What did you like to do as a teenager? Let us know and if you enjoyed this story pass it along so others can too!