Aya Asaqas Olympic skateboarder

Aya Asaqas got into skateboarding through surfing six years ago and has never looked back. The Rabat native, who is on the verge of qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics, found “a beautiful community” that spans all corners of the globe. Photo: Aya Asaqas
Aya Asaqas, 21, hopes to become the first Arab and North African female skateboarder to qualify for the Olympic Games. She has two remaining qualifying events to punch her ticket to Paris. Photo: Aya Asaqas
Aya Asaqas faced opposition from her parents, but she says they now support her Olympic dream. Photo: Aya Asaqas
Aya Asaqas has no coach and is mostly preparing for the Olympics on her own. She takes her board and goes to various skate parks across Rabat, because there isn’t one venue that offers all the different obstacles she needs to train on. Photo: Aya Asaqas
Skateboarding was added to the Olympic programme in Tokyo 2020, featuring two disciplines: Street and Park. Aya Asaqas does Park skating and still cannot believe she is in a position to represent Morocco at the Games this summer. Photo: Aya Asaqas