Sky Brown is not your typical nine-year-old.
Brown, from Miyazaki, Japan, has been surrounded by skateboards her entire life. Not only does she come from a family of skaters, the preschool she attended had its own skate park. And her six-year-old brother, Ocean, is quite deft on a board too.
Sky is already a pro skater, last year she caught the attention of the global skating community when she became the youngest girl to compete at the Vans US Open Pro Series. “It was amazing”, she said, “I realised that some of the pro girls really didn't want to lose to an 8-year-old girl and when I said hi, some of them ignored me. But that's okay. I've had that from insecure boys so many times before. It actually motivates me.”
Despite her young age, Sky takes that motivation to other countries with the aim of inspiring and empowering disadvantaged youth. In February 2018 she returned to Cambodia as part of her ‘Skate 4 Change’ tour.
“My first mission is to connect, talk and skate with children in very low income areas,” said Sky. “I hope to inspire them with skateboarding and show them that whatever their dreams are, if they do their best then anything is possible. This isn't about me throwing down tricks, but about throwing stones that create a ripple effect of ideas that say I CAN, I WILL. And more importantly, so can YOU!”
