At a time when most 11-year-olds are making holiday plans, Sky Brown is pressing forward with her ambition of becoming Great Britain's youngest summer Olympian.
But merely making it Tokyo is not enough for Brown, who would be 12 years and 155 days old on the first day of competition – she is also determined to qualify in two sports, skateboarding and surfing.
If that latter currently looks a little more tenuous – she must compete in a domestic event before she can be considered eligible – it seems nothing can stop her starring in skateboarding's debut at the Games.
🏆🏆FINALS RESULT🏆🏆Huge congrats to @skyandocean_ for an awesome performance at the international open in China. She scooped 5th place against the best in the world, with less than 1 point separating her with the bronze position! Story & pics at https://t.co/KpkyABJkL0 pic.twitter.com/Vmywrr8rKm — Skateboard England (@SkateboardEng) July 19, 2019
Last week, Brown finished fifth at the International Championships in Nanjing, having qualified for the event by reaching the top 15 of the Dew Tour event in the United States, despite competing with a broken arm.
Skateboard GB chair and professional skateboarder Lucy Adams said she is convinced Brown, who has also won the major TV show Junior Dancing With The Stars in the US, will be unfazed by the inevitable media clamour as she targets Tokyo.
Adams told PA: "Sky is competing in senior competitions with a broken arm and still getting to semi-finals. She is absolutely incredible.
1ST PLACE! 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧Skateboard GB rider @skyandocean_ just took 1st place in the quarter finals at the Park World Champs in Nanjing, China! A superb run from the 11 YO & will be aiming for similar result in semi's later! GO SKY@TeamGB @uk_sport @worldskatesb #skateboardgb pic.twitter.com/MPsNsKofcm — Skateboard England (@SkateboardEng) July 18, 2019
"Her result in Nanjing puts her in the top 10 in the world, and she was showing off tricks that can put her in the final of every event.
"With being on Dancing With The Stars she's got used to being a bit of a celebrity and coping with that kind of media storm. She understands what she's doing and she just seems to really enjoy it."
If selected, Brown would become Britain's youngest summer Olympian and the second youngest overall behind figure skater Cecilia Colledge, who was 11 at the 1932 Winter Games in Lake Placid.
Her unprecedented desire to double up in surfing may be slightly more problematic, given the current domestic selection policy which impels prospective athletes to compete first in a national competition.
But it is understood the British Olympic Association are relaxed about the possibility, deeming it the determination of her respective sports' selection panels as to whether competing in both events would be feasible.
From a purely skateboarding point of view, Adams believes the profile that her sport will be afforded as a result will serve to bolster its cross-generational reputation, and shatter a few myths about its participants into the bargain.
"Off the back of something like Sky going towards Tokyo and possibly contending for a medal, we should see much more interest and hopefully way more investment," added Adams.
"It will help do loads of things, like quash that stereotyping of how skateboarding is, and contribute towards establishing new facilities because that's what we're really lacking here.
"We're already making progress with the funding bodies who have become a lot more receptive in terms of listening to what really needs to happen to us. Sky is really helping to change that whole perception."
