Brazilian teen enjoying new life after skateboarding success
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
Life has been anything but normal for the Brazilian teenager who became an overnight sensation after winning a silver medal at the Olympics’ inaugural skateboarding competition. Thirteen-year-old Rayssa Leal says “going to the mall or the supermarket is not the same as it was before” as there’s always someone who recognizes her. The sport also changed significantly in Brazil thanks in great part to Leal’s feat at the Tokyo Games. More girls are taking up the sport. Requests for classes have skyrocketed and new schools have popped up in many neighborhoods.
