Brighton Zeuner facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 14, 2004 Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. |
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| Height | 5'1" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 108 lbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Skateboarding | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Brighton Zeuner (born July 14, 2004) is an amazing professional skateboarder from the United States. She is famous for winning big competitions at a very young age. Brighton has won two gold medals at the X Games and two Vans Park Series World Championships. She even competed in the first-ever Olympic skateboarding event!
Brighton lives in Newport Beach. She won her first X Games title in 2017. This made her the youngest champion in X Games history. She was just a day over 13 years old! She was also the youngest female X Games competitor ever. She first competed at age eleven in 2016.
She is known for her high-flying and twisting tricks. She also has strong basic skills as she moves over obstacles. At the 2018 X Games, she already had the top score. But she decided to try for an even better score to win the gold medal.
In March 2019, Brighton joined the first U.S.A Skateboarding National Team. She competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games in the Women's Park division. She placed 12th overall. This was the first time she skated in a contest without her father being there to support her.
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Early Life and Skateboarding Start
Brighton Zeuner was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her father and her brother, Jackson, helped her get into skateboarding. Her dad started skateboarding again because Jackson loved it so much. Brighton would practice on her brother's skateboards. Soon, she got her very own skateboard.
Moving to California and Building a Ramp
Brighton's family used to spend summers in San Diego County. They later moved to Encinitas full-time. Brighton and her brother wanted a big ramp in their backyard. Their parents, with help from pro skateboarders PLG and Jeff Grosso, built an 80s-style vert ramp.
Brighton had this ramp for three years. It helped her improve very quickly when she was only nine years old. She soon became as good as many of the boys. She started to really love competing.
Balancing School and Skateboarding
Brighton goes to a special school. This school gives her the freedom to balance her schoolwork with competitions. She said her teachers understand when she needs to travel. They help her catch up before she leaves. She knows it's hard to do schoolwork while at an event.
Brighton's Skateboarding Career
Early Career and TV Show
In 2015, Brighton and her brother joined a TV show called "Camp Woodward." Their episodes got over a million views each! In 2016, Brighton started competing as a professional skateboarder. She was invited to big events like Van's Pool Party and the Vans US Open.
She ended that season by winning the first Vans Park Series Championships in Malmö, Sweden. In August of the same year, she became the first Vans Park Series World Champion. She also made history as the youngest female athlete to compete at the X-Games at just 11 years old.
X Games and World Records
In 2017, Brighton became the youngest gold medalist ever at X Games Minneapolis. She won the Women's Skateboard Park event the day after her 13th birthday. This amazing win earned her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records!
In 2018, she won her second Vans Park Series World Championship in Suzhou, China. Also in 2018, she became the youngest person to win back-to-back gold medals at X Games Minneapolis. She was nominated for an ESPN ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete. However, the award went to Olympic gold medalist Chloe Kim.
Olympic Dreams and Training
Skateboarding became a sport at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Brighton was seen as a possible gold medalist for Team USA. In the Women's park competition, she reached 12th place.
Brighton's training helps her move well and build strength. She works on basic full-body strength. She also practices jumps and hops to produce force and slow down safely. She includes training to build her stamina.
