American Skateboarding-Pro Worth $8 Million Joins 9-Year-Old Battling ADHD in Race Against Time

Kids will do everything to achieve their dreams. Given the nature of their age, they will go above and beyond if they set their minds to something. One such kid is following his dream in Ogden, Utah, and he is doing all that it takes to reach his goal. Spike is a 9-year-old self-taught skateboarder who has ADHD and autism. Even for his tender age, his skills are extraordinary.

Spike’s goal is to become a professional skateboarder. But in order to do that, he first has to hone his skills, for which he wants to go to a skateboarding camp that is run by his idols. However, there lies a big hiccup for Spike in order to reach his goal.

Spike’s skateboarding obstacle

Spike loves skateboarding. What is even more impressive is he was never taught skateboarding by anyone. But in order to take his game to the next level, he needs to get enrolled in a skateboarding camp and learn the skills from professionals. He has plans to go to Pennsylvania in the summer and learn at Woodward skateboarding camp, but he is still short of $3000. Spike has been playing his guitar and selling candy in downtown Ogden to collect the remaining funds, and there is only a week left before his deadline. Recently, he also ended up meeting one of his skateboarding heroes.

Spike met Ryan Sheckler who has won multiple gold medals at the X Games. The 9-year-old ended up impressing Sheckler with his board skills, who even asked Spike to sign his board. In order to support her son, Spike’s mother is also willing to work at the camp to cover some of her son’s costs. The young prodigy’s mother believes that for someone who has ADHD and autism, skateboarding has changed her son’s life. She claims that Spike has been skateboarding only for two years but has the potential to make it to the Olympics one day. Speaking to ABC4 Utah, Spike’s mother said, “But I feel like sometimes you just need that little bit of guidance to say that hey you got it, but this is what you need to do to make it work.” According to Spike’s mother, Katie Bravo, she only has one regret about his skateboarding.

Spike’s mother’s regret

Spike’s mother, Katie Bravo, recalls her only regret was not letting him start sooner. Spike had started asking her mother about a skateboard when he was only 5 years old. Bravo remembers, after one particularly rough day at school, Spike decided to take matters into his own hands. He was determined to pursue his passion, and he stumbled upon a skateboard. He made a deal with his mom – find a helmet, and he would be taken to the skate park. Bravo vividly remembers the moment they arrived at the skate park. Everyone was astonished by his skill when he had been skating only for 5 minutes in his life.

Read more: 8-Year-Old Skateboarding Prodigy Goes From Tony Hawk’s Birdhouse to the Big-Screen

For Spike, skateboarding has become a godsend, especially with his ADHD and autism. Bravo reveals that the sport has worked wonders for his confidence and self-esteem. Spike’s extraordinary journey has already taken him to the prestigious Utah Amateur Skate League, where he showcased his incredible talent on a national stage. With his natural high pain tolerance and fearless spirit, he fearlessly takes on every trick and maneuver, leaving the crowds in awe.

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