Sky Brown: The 16-year-old skateboarder who battled a dislocated shoulder to claim bronze

British skateboarder Sky Brown is fearless. The 16-year-old skateboarding star stunned the world with her bravery as she put on a bronze medal performance at the women’s park event, despite a dislocated shoulder.

Brown’s run at Paris has been plagued by injury. She first dislocated her shoulder on the day she arrived in Paris, so severely that she was admitted to hospital. The injury would plague her entire campaign and was re-dislocated in the qualifiers on Tuesday. 

She went into the finals battling some serious pain, though she never let on just how bad it was, as her father Stu told the Independent: "She didn’t want to show [pain] because she was so afraid of being pulled out of the contest [by competition doctors]."

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It would ultimately play into Brown’s performance, as the current World Champion had to settle for third place, after being pipped for silver by Japanese Cocona Hiraki in the final run, and dwarfed by the freakish skills of 13-year-old Aussie prodigy and gold medallist Arisa Trew.

Brown’s Paris preparations were also hampered, having torn the medial collateral ligament in her knee in May, which seems to be a pattern for the young skateboarder who famously cracked her skull in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games.

Brown will have to get surgery for her shoulder once she arrives back home in LA, as the Independent reported, but we should see a stronger and more determined skater once she is back on her feet. Let’s take a look back at her journey so far. 

She was born on July 12, 2008, in Miyazaki, Japan to British father, Stu Brown and Japanese mother, Mieko. Growing up, Sky Brown was surrounded by a blend of British and Japanese cultures, giving her a unique perspective on life.

Stu, a skateboarder himself, introduced Sky to skateboarding at a very young age. By the time she was three, Sky was already riding a skateboard and showing a natural affinity for the sport.

Her family's support played a crucial role in her development as a skateboarder. The Browns encouraged Sky to pursue her passion, and she quickly became a sensation on social media, where her fearless skateboarding stunts and infectious personality won her a massive following.

Sky's skateboarding journey took off when she started participating in local competitions in Japan. Her talent was undeniable, and it wasn't long before she caught the attention of the global skateboarding community.

At the age of 10, Sky became the youngest athlete ever to compete in the Vans US Open Pro Series, one of the most prestigious skateboarding competitions in the world.

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In addition to skateboarding, Sky is also an accomplished surfer. Balancing both sports, she has demonstrated an incredible versatility and passion for extreme sports. In fact, she only narrowly missed out on qualifying for the surfing event at this year’s Olympics in Paris.

"That was a little bit of a bummer because I came super close," she told the Guardian in March 2024. "I was one spot away from qualifying for both but I know I’ve got LA ahead (in 2028) so I’m going to aim for that and get two gold medals for GB."

The pinnacle of Sky Brown's career so far came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding made its debut as an Olympic sport. Despite facing fierce competition from seasoned professionals, she would put on a show and earn a bronze medal – making history as the youngest British Olympic medalist ever, at the age of 13 years and 28 days.

Skateboarding is a tough sport, and Sky's journey to Olympic glory has not been without its challenges. In May 2020, she suffered a severe accident while training in California. Sky fell from a ramp, resulting in multiple fractures and a broken skull.

Image Credit: Instagram @skybrown

Despite the seriousness, the then-11-year-old posted a declaration of resilience to her Instagram account from hospital, stating: "I'm going to push boundaries for girls with my skating and surfing. I'm going for gold in 2021 and nothing will stop me."

Just months after the accident, Sky was back on her skateboard, determined to continue pursuing her dreams. Her remarkable comeback story resonated with fans worldwide, proving that her spirit and determination were unbreakable.

It should be clear by now that Sky Brown is not your typical teenager. On the cusp of her second Olympic appearance, the 16-year-old (she celebrated her birthday in July) said she was not feeling the pressure of the high-stakes competition.

"I don’t feel pressure, honestly, having done it in Tokyo already," she told the Guardian in March. "It just makes me want to show my new tricks even more. It’s just exciting for me."

"Skating is really not about the medals. It’s about the show you put on for everyone. I always just want to show my best, and the beautiful part of skateboarding," she concluded.

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