Story
Synopsis
A girl who just loved to skate from the age of eight, Poppy Starr Olsen became the number one female bowl skater in Australia at 14 and went on to take out bronze at the X Games at 17 - the ultimate competition in the world of skateboarding. The same year, skateboarding was announced as an official additional sport category at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Now faced with the opportunity to represent Australia on the world stage Poppy grapples with the transition from skater to athlete and the pressure of competition mounts in a way it has never done before. A coming of age story told over 12 years, TALL POPPY documents Poppy’s journey intimately as she navigates the uncomfortable idea of what it means to be a competitive athlete, the complexities of a relationship with a mum turned manager and finding her place in a male-dominated industry.
About Poppy
For over 10 years Poppy Starr Olsen has been a spokesperson for women in sport and for skateboarding. A world champion in her age group in 2014 (over 14’s) and 2015 (over 15’s), she won the professional division of the Vans Combi Classic in 2016, and was the first Australian female to be invited to compete in the X Games.
With credit in the Australian skateboard community and internationally, as well as being supported by the Australian Institute of Sport, Poppy’s girl next door charm has seen her evolve into an ambassador for Australia, youth culture and some of the country’s biggest brands.
Poppy is currently the number one female park skateboarder in Australia and sits a number 4 on the Olympic World skateboarding rankings, and the first woman to represent Australia in Park Skateboarding at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
"Poppy is a shining inspiration to a new generation of skateboarders"
Tony Hawk
"As a skateboarder Poppy has helped push, lead and drive a generation. She has been an inspiration for kids everywhere to be their most genuine selves. As a human being Poppy is one of the kindest and friendliest people. She has a heart of gold.”
Corbin Harris
