Meet Andy Macdonald, Britain's oldest skateboarder gearing up for his Olympic debut at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. At 50 years young, Andy is set to compete in park skating, showcasing his skills alongside teammates who are younger than his own son! 🛹✨
Andy will be joined by the talented Sky Brown, a 15-year-old Olympic bronze medalist and world champion, and Lola Tambling, a 16-year-old rising star. Despite the age gap, Andy remains unfazed and excited about the opportunity to share his expertise. 💪
\"It feels pretty surreal. I never thought that I would actually qualify for the Games and when I started this process two-and-a-half years ago, it was mostly just like this experiment of 'yeah, maybe I can compete with 14-year-olds, when I'm 50.'\" Andy shared with reporters. 🗣️
Known for his mastery of the half-pipe vert ramp, Andy is now venturing into the faster-paced discipline of park skating, competing in a dynamic three-dimensional bowl. 🎢
Securing his spot at the last chance qualifier in Budapest, Andy brings a wealth of experience to the team. \"I have an advantage in that I have obviously much more experience in skating in competition, and what it takes to mentally prepare and physically prepare,\" he explained. \"They have the advantage in their youth. They can fall really hard and just bounce right up. They're, like, 'Let's try it again' and if I fell that hard, I would be out for, like, two weeks.\"
Andy also highlighted the mutual benefits of this diverse team: \"I have a lot of insight as far as technique and different trick variations that maybe they haven't heard of or haven't thought of yet, and they can try. I feed off their youth and their energy, because I just try to keep up. I'm 50 years old and when they get all excited, 'Let's go, let's go, keep skating', I'm 'yeah, I got to go and pick up the kids from school.'\" 👨👧👦
