Melissa Williams (skateboarder)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | South African |
| Born | 12 June 1985 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Home town | Panorama, Cape Town, South Africa[1] |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Leon Bester |
| Sport | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sport | Skateboarding |
| Position | Goofy-footed |
| Rank | 44th (June 2021)[2] |
| Event | Park |
| Pro Tour(s) | Dew Tour Vans Park Series |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Regional finals |
|
| National finals |
|
Melissa Williams (born 12 June 1985) is a South African skateboarder.[3]
She competed in the women's park event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and was the oldest woman participating in skateboarding at the Games.[3]
Biography[edit]
Williams was born and greww up in Panorama, a suburb of Cape Town, and it was there where she started skateboarding at age 12.[4] In her mid-twenties, she lived in London for three years and, as she described, "spent a lot of time skating all the incredible bowls, snake runs, and [skate]parks that England has to offer."[1]
A person of many interests and pursuits, Williams has worked as an interviewer and organizer for Blunt Magazine, played drums for the bands Black Lung and Bilderberg Motel, boxed competitively, been the marketing manager for the South African branch of RVCA, managed operations of several restaurants in Cape Town, and founded and operated a social media and marketing company.[5][6] She is not a professional skateboarder but rather skates for fun, in addition to surfing regularly.[5] When asked if there is anything she still wants to achieve, considering all she has already accomplished, Williams responded, "…there is so much cool stuff to do in this life. I want to do it all."[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Jackson, Luke (4 January 2017). "Melissa Williams - Where Is My Mind?". Session Magazine (75): 36–41. Retrieved 1 August 2021 – via Issuu.
- ^ "Olympic World Skateboarding Rankings (Park, Female)". World Skate. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Athletes: WILLIAMS Melissa (Skateboarding)". Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Promoting women's Skateboarding in South Africa". Cape Talk (Radio broadcast). 20 September 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- ^ a b Kuschke, Jazz (23 October 2018). "Meet the woman taking South African women's skating to the world". Red Bull. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Under My Skin, Episode 06 – Melissa Williams". Session Magazine (Video). 31 October 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
External links[edit]
- Melissa Williams at Olympedia
- Melissa Williams at The Boardr
- Melissa Williams at Vans Park Series
