Arisa Trew became Australia’s youngest Olympic champion when she secured gold in the skateboard women’s park event in Paris.
With a score of 93.18, she also became the first Australian woman to win an Olympic skateboarding gold medal.
But right now, there’s something else on Arisa’s mind besides her history-making feats: a gift that she may value as highly as her accolades and which wouldn’t be possible without them.
“My parents promised me if I won the gold medal, I could get a pet duck,” the teenage skate sensation told the Today Show on Wednesday (August 7).
Teenage skate star Arisa Trew made history by becoming the youngest gold medalist in Australia
Image credits: Arisa Trew
The Queensland native plans to take her future pet on “walks and to the skatepark” once she returns home.
A duck would be perfect for the 14-year-old because it would suit her busy schedule, she said.
“My parents definitely wouldn’t let me get a dog or a cat because we are traveling so much right now.
“But I feel like a duck might be a little bit easier, and… I don’t know; I just want a duck.
“It will just be in my yard, and I’ll get a little pool thing for it.”
Pet ducks need specialized care from a veterinarian with avian expertise, PETA notes. Artificial ponds like “kiddie pools” need to be cleaned twice per day, at least, which is why a large, naturalistic pond is strongly recommended. They also need specialized feed and artificial heat for baby ducklings.
Arisa’s parents promised that if she won the gold medal, they would buy her a pet duck
Image credits: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Arisa won ahead of Japan’s Cocona Hiraki, who collected silver, and Great Britain’s Sky Brown of Team Great Britain, who was third—a repeat of her bronze medal in Tokyo.
When she first landed her 900— two and a half rotations while mid-air, considered one of skateboarding’s most technically demanding tricks—legendary skater Tony Hawk congratulated her on social media, writing, “Glass ceilings are so 2023.”
“She’s leading the way of what’s possible in skateboarding and in women’s skateboarding,” he added.
“And we’re just lucky to have her. That run right there could have won any event.”
Tony Hawk congratulated the 14-year-old on her “well-deserved gold medal” and thanked all competitors for “pushing skateboarding into a new era of equality and inclusivity”
The athlete first picked up a skateboard at the age of seven, having initially been an avid surfer.
“It was because I surfed a lot, and I still surf so much now when I have time, but in winter, it got too cold,” she explained.
“So my dad took me to the skate park and I just started skating, and I loved it from then.
“It was just lots of fun and challenging, and just something to do after school.”
Initially, there weren’t many female skaters around her age, so she mainly skated with boys. This changed when she was 10, when she recalls seeing more girl skaters.
In May 2024, she became the first woman to land a 900, one of skateboarding’s most technically demanding tricks
Last year, Arisa became the first woman to successfully execute a 720 trick, two complete rotations while mid-air, during Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert event.
In March 2024, she placed fourth at the World Skateboarding Tour in Dubai for the women’s park event. Two months later, the young athlete made history by becoming the first woman to land a 900.
“It’s super cool that I’ve won the gold medal,” she said on Tuesday (August 6) after the biggest accomplishment of her career. “It’s been a dream, I’m so excited.”
“It’s a little bit heavier than I thought, but it’s like – beautiful.”
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