Poppy Starr Olsen is used to having her world turned upside-down.
As one of the best female skateboarders on the planet, she is often pulling off gravity-defying manoeuvres.
But the past 14 months has presented more twists, turns and obstacles than the Newcastle 20-year-old could ever have imagined.
Olsen was well placed to represent Australia at the 2020 Olympics before the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year and organisers postponed the Tokyo event for 12 months.
She also had to endure several weeks without being able to train at a skate park while they were closed and has not competed in an international event since placing fifth at the Oi Stu Open - a street skateboarding championship - in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in November 2019.
"There's been ups and downs to it," Olsen told the Newcastle Herald last week.
"It's been a little unmotivating for skating because there's still this one big thing you want to work for but you're not sure if it's going to be off or on and then it's just been pushed back and you kind of question it.
"But I've also had a lot more time to focus on some of my other hobbies, which has been nice. I've been drawing and doing art a lot which is a big passion of mine. So there's been some aspects of it which have been nice."
It was the first time since she was 12 that Olsen had been home for more than three months at a time.
By the age of 16, she had world titles to her name, had been invited to do demonstrations with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and was the first Australian female to compete in the Summer X Games.
Skateboarding is set to make its Olympics debut in Japan between July 25 and August 5. It is one of four new sports along with surfing, karate and climbing. Baseball and softball will return.
Olsen is among a group of Australia's top skateboarders who flew to San Diego in the United States on Monday. Those who qualify for the Olympics will be based there until the Japan event.
They will compete in the Dew Tour, which is the only US-based global Olympic qualifying event for skateboarders ahead of the Toyko Games, in Iowa from May 19.
While some are still chasing valuable qualification points, Olsen is all but guaranteed a spot on the team.
According to the world skateboarding rankings, for female park riders starting from January 1 last year, Olsen is the best-placed Australian and fourth overall.
"I'm pretty much locked in, which is good," Olsen said. "It's hard for the people who don't have as much points because they've only got one competition left where they have to place pretty highly.
"But for me it would be good to get more practice and I also have to get back into the game and think about competing again."
Olsen's first competition since the country was plunged into lockdown last year was Bowlzilla in Elanora, Queensland in March.
"It was a little skating comp so that was fun, seeing a couple of my friends again," she said.
"It was super weird getting back into it. But I had a go and figured out all of the things that I need to be doing."
The world's best 20 skaters - male and female - from the two skateboarding disciplines of street and park will qualify for Tokyo.
"The discipline has changed so basically I'm just trying to do my best and see where that takes me," Olsen said. "Just try and get as highly placed as I can.
"[Park] is basically like a bowl but more spread out, more obstacles and stuff going on so it's a little bit different.
"I do it a lot now but before no one really did that. It was only ever bowl competitions and vert, which is a big half-pipe."
