Ryan Sheckler

(google images)

Ryan Sheckler was born on December 30th 1989 to Gretchen and Randy Sheckler, in San Clemente, California. He was introduced to skateboarding by his dad. When he was only eighteen months old, Ryan stepped on to his first skateboard that belonged to his father. Ryan was interested in this sport, so his dad helped teach him the basics of skateboarding.

Ryan’s dad built him a skate park in their own back yard as a present to Ryan. Ryan practiced in his back yard skate park around twenty hours a week. As he got older, around the age of ten, he joined California Amateur Skateboarding league. He began to win one state championship after the other. The eyewear company Arnette, wanted to sponsor Ryan in skateboarding. Ryan took the offer to get him started. Soon after, a lot of bigger companies wanted to sponsor him.

At the age of thirteen Ryan was officially a professional skateboarder. Ryan’s practice helped him finish first at the gravity games, the van's triple crown, slam city jam, and the x-games. Ryan Sheckler has the record for the youngest person to win a gold medal at the x-games and at the Slam City Jam. He still has those two records.

Ryan kept skating and in 2005 he won the title of the world street champion and the national street champion. After that the television company MTV gave Ryan his own television show ‘The Life of Ryan’ . It was such a hit MTV gave it an extra season. When Ryan turned eighteen he started a foundation named The Sheckler foundation. The Sheckler Foundation was created to make a difference in the lives of children and families in need focusing on pediatric causes and serious illness, Action Sports athletes with bad injuries, and developing communities.

So I believe that Ryan Sheckler is my hero because he started skating before he could even read. He has also won two medals for the youngest skater to win a gold medal in the x-games and the Slam City Jam. I believe that Ryan Sheckler is my hero.