A teenager used to jet setting around the world competing in skateboarding events, the youngster found himself grounded.

With COVID-19 bringing competitions to a halt, not only was Woolley unable to travel, but he couldn't even leave the house.

So in between setting up increasingly elaborate skateboarding tricks around the family's Minnamurra home, the teenager started to run his eye over the Olympic qualifying standards.

"When we got locked down last year, I was skating at home and started looking at the points," Woolley said.

Read more: Jai's return to field nears as hamstring rehab speeds up

"I was 14^th in the Olympic rankings and I realised I just had to get a couple more good results and I could make it.

"Before that, I was going to the Olympic qualifying events but I was just there to skate to the best of my ability.

"I didn't think qualifying was an option but I kept progressing, it all panned out and now I'm working hard to do the best I can in Tokyo."

The 17-year-old will compete in the skateboard park event after his place on the Australian team was made official on Friday.

The teenager is the poster boy for what the International Olympic Committee was trying to achieve when the sport was added to the Tokyo schedule in 2016.

A youngster who spent his spare time surfing and skateboarding, Woolley had little interest in the Olympic Games.

But the two sports were included for Tokyo, and suddenly he had a lot more interest in the global sports extravaganza.

Read more: Edwards' Olympic preparations on track after clocking historical time at Dream Mile

With skateboarders and surfers developing a rabid following on social media, particularly among young people, the IOC is looking to attract a new demographic of viewers to their event.

The organisation has doubled down for Paris, breakdancing to be a medal event in 2024 and the IOC is looking closely at the possibility of adding E-sports to an expanding Olympic apparatus in the future.

Skateboarding's inclusion will likely see older viewers introduced to a new lexicon, with spectators to learn tricks such as the ollie, 360 and kickflip.

If Woolley, who has 122,000 Instagram followers, is anything to go by, the IOC's move is likely to be a success in Tokyo.

"As a child I didn't watch the Olympics, maybe if surfing was in it, I would've had more interest," Woolley said.

Read more: Hantis accelerates towards Aussie titles after powerful motocross campaign

"It is pretty surreal for it to be announced, I couldn't believe it. Making the team has been a dream of mine ever since I worked out skateboarding was going to be in the Olympics."

Woolley has spent the past two months in America, the youngster fine-tuning preparations for the Games alongside some of the country's top skaters.

With competitors expected to pull out all stops to win the sport's first Olympic gold medal, Woolley is deliberately keeping a few tricks up his sleeve for Tokyo.

"There are some new tricks that I'm working on," he said. "But I'm not going to say what they are just yet."

We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.