Exclusive With The skateboarder Alber Leandro In Los Angeles

In today's "Celebrities" segment, we'll be chatting with a skateboard athlete, who comes from beautiful Brasília, the capital of the Federal District, and is spending time here in Los Angeles, a city that in addition to being the entertainment capital also serves as a hotspot for skateboarding. I am referring to the skater, Alber Leandro. Thanks so much for chatting with us. I know you're busy with training, tapings & photoshoots. Yeah, I’ve had to divide my time a lot. Life in the U.S. is certainly fast-paced but I always try to make time to chat & spend time with you, the media. How did your passion for skateboarding develop? When and how did it start? When I was a kid I'd watch friends skateboarding in the neighborhood where I used to live, in Guará. I used to watch them carefully. To be honest, I used to like soccer I watched and watched and I developed a love for skateboarding. It’s almost as if it was love at first sight. I didn’t have a skateboard but I asked to borrow one from a friend. He lent it to me and from then on I’ve felt that passion. From that day on I’ve been skateboarding. day on I’ve been skateboarding. Janete: Why don’t you share with us, changing the topic for bit, a little more about your family now that you’re here. How is your family in Brazil? I'm very homesick because that's my home base, where I truly get my inspiration from— from the story of my family and my mother. family and my mother. Janete: Talk to us Tell us a little bit about the differences you’ve noticed in regards to skateboarding as a sport in Brazil and here in the U.S. States. Alber: It’s very different because It's very different because skateboarding lacks structure in Brazil. If only the skate parks were built for athletes to train and improve their skills. We lack the organized events that are necessary to continue developing our skills. In that way, things are very different. The United States has all of that. Events, skateboarding parks for you to continue learning, different types of skateboards, some that are lighter, better and more durable. Those are some of the differences. But in regards to skill level, there are no differences. Let’s talk about some of the tricks you’ve been working on. I’ve been practicing a lot of new tricks, which means that I don’t really learn tricks from videos or magazines. I try to imagine tricks that I’ve never seen before and I try to do them. That is what has made me stand out in the world of skateboarding. What trick will you be showing us today? you be showing us today? Alber: Today, I’ll be showing you a trick I’ve been practicing for a while known. Alber, talk to us about some of the challenges you’ve faced to get to where you are today. I never thought I would get to achieve my dreams and overcome those challenges to get to where I am today because for someone who comes from a dysfunctional family, it’s very hard to find the money to support yourself in the U.S. and for you to achieve your goals and dreams. United States and for you to achieve your I would like to first thank you for giving me the opportunity to share a little bit about my life here in America. I would like to thank my sponsors, QIX and Bless Them All, a company based in Brasilia. Thanks to everyone in Brasilia who supported and helped me get here-- I'd like to thank all of you.