A NORTHWICH schoolboy who has qualified for his sport’s world finals in Australia urgently needs funding help to make the journey.
Hartford High School student, Pharrell Lobe, finished on the leaderboard of the extreme stunt scootering Euro Finals in Germany this summer, booking his ticket to showcase his skills on the global stage in Sydney next month.
He represented the UK in Germany on the back of succeeding in a competition organised by Chilli Pro Scooters.
It is the latest of many achievements in the sport for Pharrell, who is self-taught with his tricks and rides and has fought back from a nasty fall to get to the levels he is now at.
His family are so proud of what he has achieved but are concerned that the costs involved with the Australian adventure would be prohibitive without the support of donations or sponsorship.
So far £315 of the £2,000 needed has been kindly donated to his GoFundMe page online.
Further donations are being accepted at https://gofund.me/efcc35d7 to help towards Pharrell’s flight tickets and accommodation.
“For me to take him over it's going to be very costly,” said Pharrell’s mum, Kelly Thompson.
“As a single mother to three lovely boys I just wouldn't be able to fund the cost myself.
“To get where he has in this dangerous sport at 14 years old is a big achievement for him.
“He did brilliantly with his runs in Germany, he’s so talented and dedicated to his sport.
“I wouldn't want him to miss out on the finals when he's worked so hard.”
Pharrell has been dedicated to the sport since first getting on his scooter at the Barnton skatepark 11 years ago.
This year Pharrell, who is unattached to any clubs, won his 13-plus years category in the Dogg Academy 2023 competition in Deeside, while he also finished first in the under 15s section of the Graystone Scooter Open in Manchester last year and was second in his age group in his big competition debut in the 2021 Adrenaline Alley in Corby.
“He rides the Barnton skatepark every week practising different tricks and on weekends he will travel around the UK to ride the different skateparks we have, meeting up with other friends he's also met through scootering,” said Kelly.
“He edits all his own scootering videos which he then posts on his Instagram page that he uses specifically for scootering to share with friends and for other riders to see.”
Kelly was not sure if an incident last November would set Pharrell back in scootering, but he has bounced back stronger than ever.
“He had a nasty fall while riding the ramps doing stunts, causing serious facial injuries,” she said.
“He had to have his top front teeth pushed back into place by the maxillofacial unit at Northampton Hospital and he couldn't ride his scooter for six weeks.
“I thought with the fall he had, it would knock his confidence riding again but he couldn't wait to get back on the ramps doing what he thoroughly enjoys doing.
“Since then he's gone on to achieve great things doing this highly dangerous sport.
“A local lad from Northwich qualifying for the World Finals is an amazing achievement for him at 14 years old and we are so proud of him.
“To get him over to the World Finals in Australia representing the UK would be a once in a lifetime amazing experience.”
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