Richie Bullbrook is one of Canada’s top skateboarders with his eyes on the 2028 Olympics. He’s on a mission to honour his late dad and change how the world sees skateboarding and mental health.
One of Canada’s top-ranked park and vert skateboarders, Richie Bullbrook, is just getting started.
Born and raised in London, Ontario, he’s climbing the ranks of competitive skateboarding with his sights set on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. His motivation? A promise he made to his dad before he passed away during Richie’s first year of university. Despite overwhelming grief, he chose to stay in school, keep training, and see that promise through.
Richie doesn’t just want to make it to the Olympics. He wants to change how people see skateboarding. While the sport has roots in counterculture, Richie sees it the way he lives it: as a serious discipline. He doesn’t drink, treats his body like any pro athlete would, and wants to show the world that skateboarders deserve the same respect as Olympians in any sport.
He uses his voice to advocate for mental health by sharing openly about living with ADHD, OCD, self-esteem challenges, and the loss of his father. Richie strives to help others feel seen and supported and always responds to those who reach out. He also started an annual scholarship in memory of his father and organizes competitions to support the London skate community.
Backed by his family, mentors like Olympic gold medallists Damian Warner and Alex Kopacz, and years of grit, Richie Bullbrook is showing what real strength looks like on and off the board.
I don’t want to see anyone lose someone they love to any kind of substance abuse because they were too ashamed to reach out for help because of how society makes them feel. It’s not bad to ask for help. It’s not wrong. It takes strength to reach out. Everyone needs a hand sometimes.
Richie Bullbrook
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