Under the warm Pando sun, with music setting the rhythm and her skateboard as her constant companion, Julieta González's journey into the world of skateboarding began. Today, she stands as a prominent figure in the sport's burgeoning landscape.

"My first encounter was at the age of eight," recalls the 20-year-old Uruguayan athlete. "I begged for my first skateboard as a Children's Day gift, and I broke it right away."

Her passion for skateboarding found a solid foundation at the skatepark in her hometown of Pando. Opened in 2014 within Parque Artigas, it quickly became her second home. "It wasn't as common in our country back then. The 'Ruedas Locas' skate school was established there, and we were a bunch of kids taking classes, learning a lot, borrowing the basics, and making friends."

"Gradually, I started to level up and do well," she recalls, "I became a national champion several times, and that gave me a boost."

Venturing Abroad

González's talent soon took her beyond national borders, though not without challenges. "In 2022, Emiliano Álvez [coach] told me about the South American Youth Games in Rosario, Argentina, and the possibility of competing. I didn't hesitate for a second; I wanted to be there," she recounts with a smile, recalling her first competition as part of the Uruguayan delegation.

"I wasn't used to watching videos of other international competitors, so when I arrived and saw the level of the Brazilian representatives, I was stunned," she admits. "I wasn't used to seeing girls so far ahead. It motivated me immensely, and I even dared to try new tricks during the competition."

"They had very polished railings and did many different tricks, and I only knew two," she remembers, turning the situation into a positive. "In the three days before, I practiced a lot and managed to learn several. I kept improving, and on the last day, I earned a spot on the podium and finished third, even surpassing one of the Brazilians."

"That was the starting point for a significant qualitative leap in high performance," she reflects.

Aiming Higher

That bronze medal confirmed what many suspected: Julieta had innate talent, a constant desire to grow, and the courage to try repeatedly. At 17, she competed in her first South American Games (Odesur).

"It was a tremendous experience," she explains. "I competed against older girls, Olympic-level athletes, rivals who participate in world championships and reach the finals. It was another great challenge because it was on a very different track. We improvised a lot and used the training days to adjust as much as possible. I finished fifth against very skilled rivals."

A year later, she became the first female skater to represent Uruguay at the Pan American Games in Santiago 2023. "It was an honor to pave that way; hopefully, many more will follow. It was another step forward, learning different styles and ways of riding."

She also participated in four world championships between 2023 and 2024, traveling to Rome, Japan, and twice to Dubai. "It was part of the attempt to qualify for the Olympic Games, which we came quite close to achieving."

"The tracks are very different from what I'm used to," she acknowledges. "They were very large, with specific and regulated dimensions, which makes it difficult to implement specific tricks for each part of the track."

But that didn't deter her. "I had 45 minutes a day to train, during the three days before the debut. We had to figure out which tricks we could invent and make work."

The competition evaluates the difficulty of the maneuvers, variety of tricks, creativity, speed, and, most importantly, no falls. "There's nothing like achieving a perfect routine, even if it's just the basic tricks."

"You're far from home, on a track you've never skated before, with many people watching, and your scores depend on those two 45-second routines to see if you qualify for the Olympics. It's not easy," she argues.

"Hopefully, the project to have an Olympic track in Uruguay will be realized soon; it would be very important," she adds.

Looking Ahead

Julieta González is now preparing for the Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay, from August 9 to 23.

"I have a lot of faith in myself," she asserts. "We're training hard, and we plan to go to Paraguay a month early to prepare. There are also several world championships this year, and I'd love to participate, but it depends on many factors."

A pioneer in a growing skateboarding world, she concludes, "The schools we have today are mobilizing many children, several of whom are very talented and improving rapidly. There are many girls at a high level, and I'm convinced that the next generation will be very strong."

"Many girls are skating, motivated, and have a path to follow to achieve high performance," she finishes.

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