ICYMI:Kyalami skateboarder aims for gold at 2021 Olympics
KYALAMI – Brandon Valjalo is currently the highest-ranked African skateboarder.
Kyalami skateboarder Brandon Valjalo is disappointed that the 2020 Olympics have been postponed.
The 21-year-old, who is the highest-ranked African skateboarder, was still in the process of qualifying for the Olympics when he heard that the games were postponed to 2021.
“When I heard the news, I was fairly upset, however, I tried my best to stay positive by using the postponement of the Olympics as an opportunity to train harder and be even more prepared than my opposition,” said Valjalo.
Skateboarding was expected to debut as a sport at the Tokyo Olympics, bringing much excitement to skateboarders from across the world.
Valjolo has been skating since he was three years old and enjoys the freedom of expression, adrenaline and challenge of the sport.
He started competing at a professional level at the age of 14 and has never looked back.
Reflecting on his possible selection for the 2021 Olympics, Valjalo said, “It’s the highest level of competitive skateboarding and that has been one of the biggest goals in my career. I’ve always wanted to represent my country and by being able to do it, while doing the sport I love the most is an honour.”
Valjalo said that when he goes to the Olympics, he will settle for nothing less than a gold medal.
With his sights set on the 2021 Olympics, he hopes to compete in the street skateboarding division.
Here is a video of one of his competition runs at the Fise World Pro series stop in Montpellier:
Fortunately, lockdown hasn’t stopped him from training.
“I am blessed to have a skate park in my back yard that I use as my training facility. The obstacles are a lot harder to skate and aren’t as perfect as skate parks I skate while competing on the Olympic circuit.
“I like to think of it as running on the beach sand so that when you run on the grass, it feels that much easier.”
Valjalo said that South Africa has a long journey ahead as a skateboarding community with the sport only beginning to be recognised this year.
Follow Valjalo’s journey on Instagram @brands_valjalo
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