Amelia Brodka Explained

Native Name Lang:pl
Birth Date:18 August 1989
Birth Place:Nowa Sarzyna, Poland
Alma Mater:University of Southern California
Spouse:Alec Beck
Country:Poland
Sport:Skateboarding
Event:Park, vert, bowl
Turnedpro:2009

Amelia Brodka (; born 18 August 1989) is a Polish-American professional skateboarder, coach, and president of Exposure Skate Organization. A two-time European Park Skateboarding Champion, she qualified to compete in the inaugural women's park event at the Olympic Games.[1]

Career

Brodka was born and raised in Nowa Sarzyna, Poland and emigrated with her family to New Jersey in 1996. She began skateboarding when she was 12 years old and was further inspired to seriously pursue the sport after seeing women compete in skateboarding events at the 2002 X Games in Philadelphia.[2]

When she began competing in professional skateboarding events in 2009, she noticed a clear lack of opportunities and visibility for women and girls in the sport. Her senior thesis at the University of Southern California, Underexposed: A Women's Skateboarding Documentary, aimed to shine a light on the gender disparities within the sport. The documentary went on to receive honorable mentions at several American film festivals.[3]

Brodka has ranked well in international vert, park, and bowl competitions for the past decade. Notable results include third place at the 2017 World Vert Championships, first place in the 2017 and 2018 European Park Championships, second place in the 2017 Australian Bowl Championships and first place at the 2020 Polish Park Skateboarding Championships.[4] [5] Her skateboarding has earned her a pro model skateboard on Arbor Skateboards,[6] pro wheel on Speedlab Wheels, and one of skateboarding's first-ever spots on Team Visa. Brodka is not only an athlete, she also advocates for gender equality through documentary film making, activism, and charitable work.[7]

Personal life

Brodka holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California in communications and narrative studies. She lives in Vista, California with her husband, American skateboarder Alec Beck.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lago. Kristen. 2021-07-23. Amelia Brodka talks excitement over skateboarding's Olympic debut. live. 2021-07-25. Spectrum News 1. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725225719/https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/sports/2021/07/23/amelia-brodka-talks-excitement-over-skateboarding-s-olympic-debut . 25 July 2021 .
  2. Web site: Szczepanik. Szymon. 2021-04-25. Amelia Bródka: Gdybym reprezentowała USA, złamałabym rodzicom serce. live. 2021-07-25. Kierunek Tokio on Weszlo.com. pl-PL. https://web.archive.org/web/20210515054211/https://kierunektokio.pl/amelia-brodka-gdybym-reprezentowala-usa-zlamalabym-rodzicom-serce/ . 15 May 2021 .
  3. Web site: Underexposed: A Women's Skateboarding Documentary (2013). live. 2021-07-06. IMDb. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20140111030854/http://www.imdb.com:80/title/tt2354012/? . 11 January 2014 .
  4. Web site: Amelia Brodka from Poland (POL) – Bio and Photos. 2021-07-06. The Boardr. en.
  5. Web site: Skateboarding: BRODKA Amelia. live. 2021-07-25. Tokyo 2020 Olympics. en-us. https://web.archive.org/web/20210725224551/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/skateboarding/athlete-profile-n1307309-brodka-amelia.htm . 25 July 2021 .
  6. Web site: Amelia Brodka. 2021-07-06. Arbor Collective. en.
  7. Web site: Edmonds. Allison. 2021-03-04. Amelia Brodka: Changing women's skateboarding one step at a time. live. 2021-07-06. KUSI News. en-US. Broadcast news segment. https://web.archive.org/web/20210310015110/https://www.kusi.com/amelia-brodka-changing-womens-skateboarding-one-step-at-a-time/ . 10 March 2021 .