Key Points
- Skateboarder Arisa Trew became Australia’s youngest Olympic gold medallist in history at 14 years and 86 days old.
- Winning the women’s park event was ‘the best feeling in the world’.
- She says she is grateful for her family’s support and is looking forward to spending time skating with her friends.
At 14 years old, Arisa Trew has spent the past year breaking records and setting new benchmarks on the skateboarding circuit.
Yet for Australia’s youngest ever Olympic gold medallist, it’s always been about having fun—and she said that’s not going to change, even after her newfound fame.
“I’m just going to keep skating and posting videos for people to see and just keep having fun, keep learning new tricks and travelling the world and competing,” Trew told SBS Japanese.
Last November, the then-13-year-old spoke to the program about her dream to represent Australia in the Olympics.
After becoming the first female to land the 720 manoeuvre (two full mid-air rotations) in competition, Trew continued to push boundaries, eventually becoming the first female to land a 900.
The gold medal was the icing on the cake.
“It was the best feeling in the world because just going to the Olympics was like my biggest dream,” she said.
Back to school
Despite her achievements, Trew said she was happy to return to school and spend time with her friends.
“It’s really fun, going back to school and being back with all my friends, but I guess a lot of people know me now, everybody knows who I am, more than they used to. But it is all the same at school. Everybody is just happy for me and I’m just skating with all my friends,” she said.
Trew is now receiving more attention outside of home and school than ever before.
“I was at the airport yesterday and like 10 people there knew who I was and asked for a photo or said hi, that was definitely different to how it would normally be.”
Her Japanese mother, Aiko, said it was difficult to go to the supermarket without being stopped by a stranger.
“Though stopping to chat each time makes it hard to get things done, it makes me happy to know that the people have supported her so much,” she said.
‘My favourite thing to do’
After putting in immense work to qualify for the Olympics, Trew is not dwelling on the challenges or sacrifices.
I just skate every single day because it’s fun and it’s my favourite thing to do, doing what I love the most.
Arisa Trew
“I didn’t feel any pressure for being the youngest Australian athlete because I was just going to have fun and do as best as I could and just try put down a solid line and that was all I really cared about.”
Mother Aiko said she was taking great care to keep her daughter’s life as close to normal as possible.
“I made sure she had time to spend with her friends.
“We’ve always encouraged her to have fun, and to enjoy it each time,” Aiko said.
That mindset of always having fun, combined with a supportive environment, has helped Trew find success.
Having tumbled on her first run in Paris on a fundamental trick, scoring just 35.53, it was left to her second and third runs to keep her dream alive.
Arisa Trew in action for Australia in the women’s park skateboard event at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Credit: Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images
Luckily, Trew had the privilege of being cheered on by both her parents, who managed to secure spectator tickets.
“It was really good having my parents in Paris because I just wanted them to watch me compete. They were lucky enough to get tickets because they might have not even been able to get tickets for the comp.
“I’m very thankful for them for supporting me and taking me around the world to travel and compete and it’s really good having them there and supporting me,” she said.
And soon, there will be new additions to the family: not one, but two pet ducks.
Arisa Trew said she was inspired by skateboarding’s debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Source: AAP / Dean Lewins
Speaking at the games, Trew went viral when she told reporters of her parents’ promised gift if she claimed gold.
Aiko said her daughter has wanted a duck since she was young: “She never really asked for anything else.”
“Leading up to the Olympics, Arisa asked again and again. I thought getting gold was going to be very difficult, but leaving such possibility open, I told her yes, if she gets gold … and she really did. And so I was like, ‘oh no!’,” Aiko laughed.
Trew added: “I don’t think they wanted a pet duck, but thought maybe that it would push me to get gold.”
Still, Trew said she had forgotten about the promise until her fellow Olympians and close friends Chole Covell (skateboarding street) and Ruby Trew (skateboarding park) reminded her.
“When I won they ran up to me and told me, you’re getting a duck!”
“When I was young, I wanted to name the ducks Cheese and Quackers. But I’ve been told names like Goldie, Paris and Ollie for Olympics.”
While that promise of feathered friends will soon be fulfilled, Trew said her immediate focus is on preparing for another overseas competition in two weeks.
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