Watching cartoons—that’s what 8-year-olds do. But, in the case of Zarah Ann Gladys, it’s about doing 180s on the skateboard. The young Indian (quite literally) was the youngest participant at the World Skateboarding Tour 2024. With Paris 2024 Olympics points on the line, the little skater managed to end the qualifier ranked 61st.
The result may not have been what Zarah would have hoped for, considering she had scored 10.66 (her best) last year in Rome when she made her international debut at the Skateboarding Park World Championship 2023. However, at the Dubai Park 2024, she managed to score just 8.50.
The 8-year-old hails from Kerala and currently resides in the UAE. Her journey with the board began four years ago after she saw her friends practicing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, Zarah Ann Gladys has taken part in several competitions (local and international) and even won two titles in the UAE (Aljada Stake Jam and Circuit X). She has also claimed a silver medal at India’s National Roller Skating Championships aged 6 in December 2022 in the under-9 age group.