For such a young Gold Coast woman, Chloe Covell has certainly achieved an incredible level of sporting prowess and continues to carve out a name for herself in the traditionally male-dominated skateboarding sport. Not only has she won Rumble on the Reef in Mackay and the National Championships in Melbourne two years in a row, but she also recently won a bronze medal at the X Games in Japan at her first international event.
In between skating, training, school and ah, more skating, Chloe took time out of her busy schedule to chat with Blank about ‘boarders’, training and her passions in life.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Chloe Covell, I’m 12 years old and I live in Tweed Heads. I started skating when I was six and have pretty much been doing it all day every day since, but I also like playing soccer, surfing, basketball and listening to music.
Who or what, inspired you to take up skating initially?
When I was six, my Dad told me to sit down and watch TV with him. The X Games were on and Nyjah Huston was skating- it was a defining moment for me and I instantly fell in love with the sport. We had an old skateboard in the back yard, and I literally jumped on it straight away and started skating.
Tell us about your training schedule
I usually train three times a week. I have a free skate on Tuesday afternoons and on Thursdays, I have a one on one coaching session. On Sundays, we have a group session in Brisbane with Australian skateboarder, Tommy Fynn. I also try to squeeze in two gym and stretching sessions through the week.
What do you love about skating?
I truly love that everyone I skate with is very supportive and nice– even the skate community in general is awesome. I also love that no matter what age, gender, or level you are at, you can just grab a skateboard and go down to a skatepark or find some concrete somewhere and just have some fun.
Do you think the skating scene is changing? How so?
Since I’ve been involved, skateboarding has definitely changed and improved, as it's not just boys everywhere anymore. Nowadays, there are so many girls, of all ages, getting into skateboarding and having fun no matter what level they’re at.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your skating career?
I guess the main challenges I face are learning newer, harder and bigger tricks. It's always a mental battle at times trying to progress my skateboarding to the next level, but I enjoy it as it’s really rewarding finally landing that trick you’ve been working so hard to get right.
How do you rate the new skate facilities at Pizzey Park?
I absolutely love the new Pizzey Skatepark, especially having all the different size rails and ledges, as well as the big stair set. Unfortunately, however, as of all the rain, I haven’t really had a chance to skate there much.
What is the next big competition you’re training for? How do you approach competitions mentally?
My next big competition is in Rome at the end of July, which will be the beginning of the qualifying events for the next Olympics. I guess my mental approach is pretty simple- I just try to not overthink it and have confidence in my ability.
What do you do when you’re not skating?
I play soccer for the Gold Coast United U13 girl’s team and I also enjoy going to the beach, usually Coolangatta, whether it's for a surf or a swim and of course, I love just hanging out with my friends. I’m so lucky to live on the Gold Coast as not only do we have beautiful beaches, but we also have all these amazing sporting facilities to use, be it for skating or just having a good time.
Follow @chlo_the_flo for more.