Talented Saltash teenager selected for Paris Olympics

Teenage skateboarding prodigy from Cornwall, Lola Tambling, has secured her place at this summer’s Paris Olympics. Joining her on the Team GB skateboarding squad is bronze medallist Sky Brown, 15, and experienced skater Andy MacDonald, 50.

The 16-year-old’s meteoric rise began when she won the title of British National Champion in 2022. She further cemented her status as a rising star by finishing sixth at last year’s World Championships in Sharjah.

Lola, from Saltash, said: “Being sixth in the world rankings was a really big deal for me. It was a crazy experience. Then I thought I could really give it a go in Paris.”

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Lola credits her parents with encouraging her interest in skateboarding. They built a skatepark in Saltash when she was just seven, but it was at the Junkyard skatepark that she first fell in love with the ramps.

She said: “On opening day I saw all the skaters there and I thought they looked really cool, so I wanted to try it myself. Now it’s really cool to see skateboarding just getting bigger and bigger. I think the future of skateboarding is huge and there’s so much more to come. The fact that skateboarding is now in the Olympics is a huge deal.”

Now competing in the Olympics for the first time, Lola is proud of her ability to combine the demands of being a full-time athlete with her passion for fashion.

“I love doing photoshoots and I absolutely love my fashion,” said Lola. “I did a shoot with Ben Sherman as part of the Opening Ceremony and that was so much fun. Just watching the others who had done a shoot before inspired me to feel confident and comfortable in my own skin.