Having been initially called upon to represent skateboarding as an Athlete Role Model at the Youth Olympic Games, Brazilian skateboard sensation Rayssa Leal was then named a Global Ambassador of Dakar 2026, a duty shared with Kenya’s Marathon world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge.

As the first skateboarder to receive this role- a distinction previously bestowed on Olympians Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Eileen Gu- demonstrates how much of a breakout superstar the Brazilian 18-year-old has become and, by extension, recognises the value of skateboarding among the 35 sports which were represented in Dakar.

Rayssa was also on-hand to meet the African skateboarders who were among the first to try out the continent’s new international-standard skatepark and to share advice and inspiration to all those young skateboarders who have watched her grow from the 'Skate Fairy' viral internet clip filmed in her hometown of Imperatriz, Brazil, right to the very highest echelons of the sporting world.

The initiative, hosted in conjunction with World Skate and the Shape Skate Foundation, brought together 10 Senegalese skateboarders and 4 coaches in a Youth Mentorship Program in the first domestic activation of their new skate space.

Rayssa’s Youth Olympic Games ambassadorship represents another historic milestone in skateboarding’s journey to inspire new generations and grow both the activity and culture’s global reach in ever-more challenging times.

As skateboarding’s IOC-recognised International Federation, we would like to both congratulate and thank Rayssa for her generosity of time and spirit in elevating the profile and impact both of skateboarding and the Youth Olympic Games themselves through her presence in Senegal earlier this month!