10-year-old skateboarder with Olympic dream to compete in senior UK championships

Jaxon Popovic, born in Australia, raised in England and now living in Wales, is only 10 years old but has qualified for the UK National Skateboarding Championships, taking place in Newquay from 9-12 July. He will be the youngest participant in the event, competing against 26 of the best male skateboarders in the country, including national champions and Olympic hopefuls. The prize fund stands at £10,000.

Despite still being in primary school, Jaxon's achievements in the last six months are impressive. He won the 'Survival of the Sickest' series competition in Hemel Hempstead and secured podium places in Birmingham and Cornwall. These results earned him a spot in the championships he had been craving.

"I'm excited but also a bit nervous," said Jaxon. "My goal was to qualify for these championships and when I found out I had been selected it was really exciting. I've been competing in age-grade categories before, so this will be different."

Jaxon lives in the small village of Solva in Pembrokeshire and attends school in St Davids, making regular five-hour round trips to train at a skatepark near Cardiff. His love for skateboarding began before his first birthday when he became fixated on a board in a surf shop. Now he trains daily, and a six-month trip to Australia in 2025 helped boost his development.

Jaxon dreams of competing in the Olympics but knows he is too young for the 2028 Los Angeles Games. His target is the 2032 Brisbane Games in Australia. "That's a goal to aim for. I know I have a lot of work to do first," he added.

For now, his focus is on the Newquay championships, where he hopes to land a clean 45-second run and make the top eight final.