Sydney schoolgirl skateboarder Ruby Trew on special Paris Olympic Games mission with her dad

Ruby Trew’s father — and now coach — knew early there was something special about his daughter when she was better than him on a skateboard at age five. A decade on they are together heading to the Olympic Games in Paris this month.

At 15 you’d be the baby of the team in most other Olympic sports but this Sydney schoolgirl is part of a teen trio ready to shake up Paris and with a “rad” plan for her sporting future.

Three years after Covid restrictions ended here dream of competing in Tokyo - at 12 - multi-talented grom Ruby Trew is on her way to Paris with father and coach James by her side.

The Narrabeen Sports High student - rugby sevens gun Sariah Paki and Paris Olympic skater Liv Lovelace are recent graduates - also has an entire school behind her despite having to miss attending in person for long stretches due to her sporting commitments.

“She will have a mountain of home work to get through when she gets back,’’ said father James of Year 10 student Ruby, who does most of her school work on Google classmate.

“I don’t mind. I actually like school,’’ said Ruby, who wants to represent at the Olympics in surfing, potentially in four years at the LA Games “because I love it the same as skateboarding and its rad’’.

Ruby Trew after winning a silver medal at the 2023 world championships. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

But first the park boarder is keen to live out here dream of having fun, skating with “bestest friends” Chloe Covell and Arisa Trew, both 14, “doing my school and Australia proud” and winning a medal in Paris with a bag of special ticks she is keeping under wraps.

“Being with them is just going to be so amazing,’’ she said. “I still can’t believe it.

“And its special being with dad. He’s like my best friend too.’’

Competing at last year’s world titles.

Ruby Trew.

Father James said Ruby showed extraordinary balance from a young age and he was forced to buy a skateboard to keep up with her on a three-wheel scooter.

“She had a go and a few weeks later she was better than me,’’ he said.

Now the pair will head to Paris to prepare for they Games with Ruby unconcerned about the inherent dangers of a sport where a skater can fall hard from a height onto concrete.

“I’ve never broken a bone. I’ve had falls though,’’ she said.

“We all know how to fall out of tricks when it’s not going well’’.

Ruby Trew is chasing medal success at just 15.

Ruby’s teammate Arisa Trew, no relation, will be 14 years and 86 days when she competes in Paris, the seventh-youngest Australian in Olympics history and the youngest in 40 years after swimmer Dimity Douglas competed at the LA Olympics in 1984 aged 14 years and 27 months.

Ian Johnston is Australia’s youngest competitor, coxing the men’s pair at the 1960 Games in Rome aged 13 years and 74 days.

AUSTRALIAN PARIS OLYMPIC SKATEBOARD TEAM

Shane O’Neill, Street, 34, 2nd Olympics, Melbourne, Haylie Powell, Street, 18, Debut, Mooloolah Valley, Queensland, Olivia Lovelace, Street, 20, Debut, Collaroy Plateau, NSW,

Chloe Covell, Street, 14, Debut, Tweed Heads, Keefer Wilson, Park, 17, Debut, Nyora, Victoria.

Kieran Woolley, Park, 20, 2nd Olympics, Minnamurra, NSW, Keegan Palmer, Park, 21

2nd Olympics, Currumbin, Queensland, Arisa Trew, Park, 14, Debut, Palm Beach, Queensland, Ruby Trew, Park, 15, Debut, North Narrabeen, NSW.

Originally published as Sydney schoolgirl skateboarder Ruby Trew on special Paris Olympic Games mission with her dad