Arisa Trew, a 14-year-old skateboarding sensation with her eyes set on the Olympics, has become the sole Australian to be honoured at world sport’s biggest awards gala.
While Novak Djokovic and Aitana Bonmati were being saluted as world sportsman and sportswoman of the year at the Laureus Awards on Monday (Tuesday AEST), the Gold Coast youngster was thrilled to be named action sportsperson of the year at the lavish ceremony in Madrid.
Arisa Trew arrived at the ceremony in Madrid with her trusty skateboard in tow.Credit: Getty
Trew was honoured for her pioneering feat at the age of just 13 last year, when she became the first female skater to land a 720 – two full rotations in midair – in competition.
She pulled off the iconic manoeuvre, first performed by skating great Tony Hawk in 1985 at the American great’s own event – and he was there to applaud Trew as she made history.
Subsequently, the young Queenslander became the first female in X Games history to win the park and vert ‘double’ and is now firmly on course to wear green and gold at the Olympics in Paris later this year.
“It’s a really big achievement for me because I didn’t really think I would even be here,” Trew said, after making a splash on Monday by arriving at the ceremony with her skateboard on the red carpet.
“He’s one of my idols and then when I landed it in front of him I was just so happy because he invented the trick.”
Other stars of the show included Women’s World Cup winner Bonmati, recognised as the outstanding player during Spain’s 2023 tournament triumph in Australia.
