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Notable Achievements at Age 13
Released debut single 'Ocean Eyes' on SoundCloud
'Ocean Eyes' written/produced by Finneas was uploaded to SoundCloud and rapidly gained traction.
Justin Bieber tweeted her cover
Justin Bieber tweeted a link to her YouTube cover which caused her to trend and gain substantial media attention.
Breakthrough lead role in Akeelah and the Bee
Starred as Akeelah Anderson, earning critical praise and multiple awards and nominations.
Boarded at Fettes College
Sent to boarding school at the independent Fettes College in Edinburgh (attended 1966–1971).
Signed five-year contract with Real Madrid youth academy
At age 13 he signed a five-year contract and moved to Madrid to join Real Madrid's youth system.
Mother and grandmother died of cancer
Edwards's mother (Yvette/Chrisha Yvette Edwards) and grandmother Shirley died of cancer during an eight-month span while he was in eighth grade; he was subsequently raised by his sister and brother.
Dominant OK-Junior season: multiple WSK titles
Won WSK Super Master Series, WSK Euro Series, WSK Open Cup and WSK Final Cup in OK-Junior; runner-up in CIK-FIA European Championship, 5th in World Championship.
Verbally committed to UCLA (age 13)
Verbally committed to play college basketball at UCLA at age 13 (reported Aug 1, 2015).
Raised by siblings after family deaths
After the deaths of his mother and grandmother, Edwards was raised by his sister Antoinette and brother Antoine, who shared legal custody.
Lido di Roma Tournament MVP and 54-point title game
Played under-13 Lido di Roma Tournament for Olimpija; was tournament MVP, leading scorer (34.5 PPG) and scored 54 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists in final.
Created YouTube channel 'MrBeast6000' / first upload
Uploaded his first YouTube video and created the channel that became MrBeast (initially MrBeast6000).
Appeared in Madea's Family Reunion
Played a supporting role (Nikki) in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion, a box-office #1 film for two weeks.
Won NAACP Image Award for Akeelah and the Bee
Received NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture for Akeelah and the Bee.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
At age 13 Nick Jonas was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes; began using an insulin pump and later became an advocate.
Auditioned for Hannah Montana
Auditioned for Disney Channel series Hannah Montana (initially for a supporting role), later called to audition for and won the lead.
Returned to Rochester, New York
At 13 Wiig and her family moved back to Rochester; she later attended Allendale Columbia School for grades 9–10.
Enrolled at Lakeside School; first exposure to computers
Entered Lakeside Prep; school acquired a Teletype terminal and Gates wrote a tic-tac-toe program in BASIC.
Moved to Spain to live with his father
At age 13 Tolle moved to Spain and later largely refused formal education between ages 13 and 22.
Uncle executed by occupiers
Her uncle Otto van Limburg Stirum was executed in retaliation for resistance activity; this changed the family's stance toward the Nazis.
💡 What this means for you
At age 13, you're at a pivotal point where many successful entrepreneurs made their breakthrough. Whether you're building your first company or scaling an existing one, these examples show what's possible with focus and execution.
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