A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Will Cortez has been involved with the sport of skateboarding from an early age. He began skating at the age of 10 and competed in his first event by the age of 11. Earlier this year, Cortez took place in the qualifying events for the Mexican Olympic Skateboard Team and was ultimately selected as a member of the national team. As a result, this allowed Cortez to continue to compete, shifting his focus on qualifying for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which he only missed by a few spots. His sights are now set on making the cut for the 2024 games in Paris.

Even though Cortez trains 6 to 7 days per week, he still manages to find time to volunteer at his church and several not-for-profit, action sports organizations such as Exposure, the 4down Project, and Skate Rising.

“Whenever I go to Mexico, I make an effort to bring extra skateboards to give to those who cannot afford them. Today, my primary goals are to exceed expectations and to qualify for the Olympic games, despite being enrolled in online classes and working full-time at the California Skateparks Training Facility. Further, I hope to represent the country of Mexico by competing in the 2024 Olympic games in both vert and park disciplines. In all, I want to be able to give back to the communities that have impacted my life. It would be an honor to take part in the development of a skateboard facility in both Mexico and Texas. I believe that this small act could help to change the lives of aspiring skateboarders, particularly those facing adversity who may wish to follow in my footsteps.”