Skateboard will make its debut at the Olympics Tokyo Games In July, few people would bet Nyjah Huston to take back the gold medal for the United States
As one of the most successful skateboarders in the past fifteen years, the California native dominates events around the world and is one of the true icons of the sport.
For many sports fans, skateboarding may be an obscure topic, but Houston is likely to become one of Tokyo’s household names in the next two weeks.
This is all you need to know about one of the newest members of the Olympic roster.
Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images
Who is Nija Houston?
Since turning professional 16 years ago, Huston has developed into an icon in the skateboarding industry. As a four-time World Skateboarding Championship gold medalist, Houston won 12 gold medals at the Summer X Games.
He won a total of 6 silver medals and 2 bronze medals between the World Skateboard Championships and the Summer X Games. He won 2 silver medals in the former and 4 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in the latter.
Away from the skate park, Houston became a sensation on social media, with more than 4.5 million followers Instagram There are nearly 500,000 subscribers on his official YouTube channel.
How old is Nyjah Huston?
Houston was born in Davis, California on November 30, 1994, which means that by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he will be only more than four months away from his 27th birthday. Olympic GamesHouston grew up in a Rastaman family, where he and his sister and brothers were educated by his mother, Kyle. His father Adeyemi was also a talented skater, and Houston often mentioned that he grew up in a family where skateboarding was never too far away.
“I started skating at the age of seven and didn’t wear a helmet, so I was just trained to be this type of skating, where you have to be fearless and move forward,” Houston told GQ in June. “He is the one who pushed me to skate these things.”
Houston signed his first contract at the age of 7, and became a professional player at the age of 11, just three years before his parents separated. At that time, the family moved to Puerto Rico, and his siblings and their mother returned to the United States. Houston remained with his father until 2010 when he was reunited with his mother who filed for a divorce and obtained full custody.
against Los Angeles TimesHouston admitted that the pressure of becoming a professional player is beyond the reach of an 11-year-old.
“I’m really shy because I don’t have much social life,” Houston told reporters Los Angeles Times In June.
“The other skaters can see it. They can see that I don’t have any fun.”
Nyjah Huston sponsor
Athletes participating in individual Olympic events often do not become millionaires. However, Houston is one of the notable exceptions. According to Slice, Houston is one of the highest paid skateboarders in the world. He started to accumulate wealth when he was a teenager after signing up for the Street League Skate Tour at the age of 15 in 2010.
He won the first game in Arizona and ended the season as a league champion, earning up to $150,000 per game. Los Angeles Times.
Since then, the Californian has signed lucrative agreements with numerous sponsors, including Nike, Doritos, soft drink brands Mountain Dew and Monster Energy, and eyewear manufacturer Prive Revaux.
“People think they know you, but they don’t,” he told reporters Los Angeles Times In June, One month before the Tokyo Olympics. “I started making money from a very young age, but it didn’t affect my love of skateboarding. I don’t just do it for money.”
