By: Allen Huang
A common question asked to professionals in any sport is, “When will you retire?” Many say answers such as at 50, perhaps at 70; however, Andy Macdonald, a 50-year old skateboarder and a friend of skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, is participating in the 2024 Olympics.
Andy Macdonald began skateboarding when he was 12 years old. As he grew, his skills improved with his practice, and he participated in the X games Skateboard Vert alongside Tony Hawk during the early 1990s and early 2000s. At this time, Macdonald never thought about participating in the Olympics, that was, until 2024. Many people would’ve never thought a 50-year old would be skateboarding alongside much younger people, as many seniors are both old and weaker than the youth. Macdonald is still up to the challenge. He just needs to get used to the park he will be skating in.
The vert is sort of like a halfpipe, allowing skaters to tackle nearly vertical slopes. Macdonald will be dealing with a 14 feet vert ramp, deeper than any other vert Macdonald has tackled. He will have to put into his run everything he has learned before.
A question many ask Andy Macdonald’s is, “Why are you competing in the Olympics?” The answer is simple, helping to get his family more money from competing. With his status and reputation in skateboarding now being less popular, which in turn, means less money, Macdonald has to resort to other forms of earning money for his family that didn’t give as much as he earned back in the 1990s and early 2000s. As a part of keeping his family financially stable, Macdonald told his wife that any money spent, will only be from his bank account instead of the family savings. With Macdonald now allowing his wife to breathe easy knowing their financial state will not be affected negatively from competing and put the family in a bad situation in the case Macdonald loses. He can now finally start to overcome the real challenge: the 14 feet vert. No matter if he loses or wins, Andy Macdonald will always stay positive about the outcome.
“So as long as I keep a positive attitude and I’m up for the challenge, that’s what I’m learning.”
Image Credit by cottonbro studio