Rayssa Leal shares advice for other young athletes: “Go with it: with love, with affection”

A viral video, two Olympic medals and two world skateboarding titles: already at 16 years old Rayssa Leal has had to navigate the highs and lows of a life most people dream of.

Her prodigious talent, paired with the joy she shows as she soars up and down skateparks, has earned her legions of passionate fans and a burning spotlight that rarely strays from her exploits.

But it’s not just for her talent that Leal is known.

Since her Tokyo triumph, the teenager has also been public about her journey in therapy and how she has leaned on it for support as her following has grown. She has become, along with superstar gymnasts Simone Biles and Rebeca Andrade, part of a new generation underscoring the importance of mental health in life both on and off the field of play.

And skateboarders is not just talking the talk. The Brazilian recently shared with Olympics.com in an exclusive interview, that therapy and support played a major role in landing her a medal at Paris 2024.

At the close of the run section of the eight-woman final, Leal had failed to put down a single, clean line, hampering her hopes of a podium finish in the French capital. She knew it wasn’t over, but she also knew the odds were now mostly stacked against her and the already burdensome pressure on Leal’s shoulders doubled in weight.

“After I messed up the two runs, I said to myself, ‘Dude, I’m not going to be able to do it anymore’,” Leal said in an exclusive interview, recounting her Paris experience.

It was then she took her critical next step. She went and got support.

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Leal: "I cried a lot"

“My team actually helped me and said: ‘The game isn’t over yet, come on’,” Leal explained.

“Sometimes, in the moment, only the person who is feeling it knows. It’s not even possible to put it into words and explain, right? But my family was there, my whole team was there and a hug solved a lot of things there at that moment, you know? So, having received a hug from everyone, and having heard very positive and motivational words, for me, man, that’s what changed the game right there.

“Then I came back 100 per cent. I came back even more focused. I think having had all the therapy I do, the conversations with my team that we always have; that helped me a lot at the time.”

Re-energised and recalibrated, the Brazilian attacked the best trick section with her very best. And though the gold and silver were out of her reach, she never backed down in the battle for bronze.

When the last skater who could mathematically overtake her bailed on their last run Leal said she collapsed into a heap of emotion.

“As soon as I realised that I was in third place, I started to cry. I broke down. I cried a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. I was with the CBSK (Brazilian Skateboarding Federation) coach from the national team, (Rogério) Mancha. So we hugged each other there, and we cried together too. And all I could think was man, I made it this far, I made it to the podium. My whole family is here. There are many Brazilians, many of my friends who are very proud of me, and I am also very proud of myself.

"And all I could think was the most positive thoughts in the world.”

"I'm learning each day"

It is with little surprise that as Leal reflected on her Paris experience she did so with a smile.

On a baking hot French summer’s day, she had come up clutch to deliver for her country and to the packed-out stands at the Place de La Concorde doused in Brazilian flags, it was a triumph for the ages.

For the skater, it was also something special; not just for the chunk of Eiffel Tower iron now in the trophy cabinet but also for how she had done it.

Years of physical preparation had given her the skillset to keep pace and bid for a medal but it was the time spent focusing on her mental health that had allowed her to stay resilient even as things didn’t go her way.

Her pride in that was obvious when asked to pick one word to describe her year. After a pause for thought her answer came: “Overcoming”.

“Overcoming because there were many highs and lows in the contests this year, and I’m learning how to deal with that,” Leal explained. “So, I’m very happy that with each event, each day, I’m overcoming myself more.”

Pressure, expectation and fun

If further proof was needed that Leal’s mental health journey is one of growth, in late September she provided it in spades.

The Brazilian wrote another remarkable chapter in her career history after striking gold in the Street World Championship at the World Skate Games Italia 2024.

Seven Japanese skaters - including two Olympic champions - took to the course in Rome yet it was Leal who emerged the victor, showing remarkable composure from the start of the contest until the end putting to bed any lingering doubts from Paris.

On how other athletes like her might one day enjoy that same type of growth, the skateboarder, for a second time, thoughtfully considered before choosing her answer.

“I think the most important thing is not to put too much pressure on yourself,” she said. “I think that the most important thing for me at that moment [in Paris] was not to put too much pressure on myself, not to feel pressured to get the tricks right and just to have fun.

“So, depending on what you do, the sport you do, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Go with it, with love, with affection, having fun, and everything will work out.”