Welcome to another episode of In Search of Excellence! My guest today is Ryan Sheckler, one of the greatest skateboarders of all time! He turned pro when he was only 13 and, in that same year, became the youngest gold medalist in X Games history.

At 17, he was the star of his own MTV reality show, The Life of Ryan. And in 2008, he created the Sheckler Foundation, whose goal is to support and enrich the lives of children and injured action sports athletes.

Tune in to hear about his beginnings, the skateboarding community, Tony Hawk, the crucial X Game competition that made him famous, and so much more!

Time stamps:

00:50 Ryan’s first skateboarding experience

• He was around 18 months old
• A wild kid that moved around a lot
• Discovered skateboarding as a toddler and naturally took it to the next level
• All his neighbors skated
• Loves free-falling and speed
• The reaction of parents when they got hurt
• Broke his arm when he was 5

05:48 Wearing helmets and pads

• Very important for kids that are still learning
• Wore helmet until 14
• There is always a risk of falling
• Today, it’s all about social media
• Social media can work for you or against for you
• Kids should learn in their own way and at their own pace
• There're no rules to skateboarding, you’ve got to feel it
• Randall’s experience in Venice skate park

15:00 Meeting Tony Hawk

• Tony Hawk skated at the YMCA
• Ryan’s dad emailed him and asked to come to a birthday party
• Tony asked for $500 and a chocolate cake
• It was an incredible experience
• His coming and the way he treated them stuck with him

17:22 Skater community is a giving community

• Was in Cuba years ago
• The skate scene in Cuba is epic
• They build their own incredible skateboards from various materials
• Left everything he brought with himself there
• The skater community is special and very giving
• Ryan traveled the world as a skateboarder
• You don't have to speak the language, speaking skateboarding is enough
• What they all have in common is pain
• Ryan had 12 broken bones, ligaments injuries, surgeries, and pins
• Do good things for people in silence
• Randall’s son skateboarding themed Bar Mitzvah
• As getting older, Ryan wants to be more selfless

27:50 Rodney Mullen and his impact on Ryan’s life

• Rodney Mullen is the best skateboarder alive ever
• Rodney is the forefather of skateboarding
• A Skateboard company called Almost
• Unexpectedly, Rodney Mullen called Ryan
• Ryan was obsessed with skateboarding and won many competitions
• But didn’t expect to go pro before 21
• Started traveling with Rodney
• The impact he had on Ryan’s life is immeasurable

33:57 Winning the X Games at 13

• Getting invited to X Games
• Always enjoyed skateboarding contests
• Got the opportunity to go to X Games
• He was stoked to be around all the skateboarding superstars
• Preformed excellently and his score was the best
• He won the competition but it didn’t make sense to him
• Had to go to school the next day

38:50 Learning wrestling in high school

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