From TikToks to Gold Medals
Sometimes the most extraordinary stories begin with the most ordinary moments. After all, when you’re 11 years old and you’ve just reached a big milestone, you celebrate the way any kid would — with dancing, laughter, and a few TikToks.
“It was so fun,” Paris-Alegado said. “[I was] dancing, making new friends, making TikToks. It was so fun.”
But this wasn’t just any milestone.
In Bangkok, at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Mazel Paris-Alegado didn’t just compete — she ruled the women’s park skateboarding category and became the youngest gold medalist her country has ever produced. At an age when many kids are still deciding what sport they like, Paris-Alegado was already standing on top of an international podium, proudly representing the Philippines.
“It feels crazy because this is my first SEA Games and I’m so proud to represent the Philippines,” the bubbly pre-teen said. “It was so hype. Everyone was hyping me up.”
What makes her story even sweeter is how casually it all began. Her mother once imagined her daughter in cheerleading or ballet, following the traditional path many young girls take. But one visit to a cousin’s house changed everything.
“I was at my cousin’s house, and then I saw my brother on a skateboard, and I was like, oh my gosh, that is so cool,” Paris-Alegado said. “And then I got on, and I instantly fell in love.”
That single moment turned curiosity into passion — and passion into history.
Now, Paris-Alegado hopes her victory becomes more than just a medal. She wants it to be an invitation, especially for young girls who might never have thought skateboarding was for them.
“Yeah, I love inspiring people, especially little kids and little girls,” she said. “I just hope lots of people saw that, even on the livestream, if there was a livestream. And then, yeah, I just hope they saw that, and they want to like, you know, start skateboarding like how I got inspired by my brother.”
And that might be the real gold medal here — not just what she won, but who she inspires next.
Stories like this remind us that greatness doesn’t wait for adulthood — sometimes it shows up on four wheels, with a fearless smile and a whole lot of heart.
Source:
- https://youtube.com/shorts/F3r-ZZBbv5A?si=7YObw5GK2O4E5y9-
- https://asianews.network/tiktok-dancing-and-sea-games-gold-all-in-a-days-work-for-filipino-11-year-old-skateboarder/
- https://vogue.ph/lifestyle/sports/concrete-princess-skateboarder-mazel-paris/
- https://chatgpt.com/
- https://aistudio.google.com/
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