Team Toyota Olympic and Paralympic athletes inspire year-round, and thatâs especially true now when believing in our dreams matters more than ever. To celebrate Olympic & Paralympic Day presented by Toyota, and the spirit of the Games, Toyota brings words of wisdom and encouragement from a group that lives the credo âNever give up.â
âThrough fencing, I built confidence and the ability to handle pressure and express myself. It taught me that achievement isnât linear: Youâre going to lose a lot more than you win.â
âWeâre all so different. We all have our own challenges and face different adversities, some more visible than others. But when we talk about them and share experiences, people donât feel so alone.
âMy goals are my goals, and I canât let other outside factors hinder me from achieving them. I wonât let anything like that define my career. Thatâs what mobility means to me: the ability to go after everything without any restrictions.â
âRunning is my job. The training schedule is pretty rigorous, but I love what I do. I enjoy every moment of it. Some of the stuff becomes tedious, but itâs what you need to do to become the greatest person you can be.â
âWeâre both doing exactly what we dreamed of doing, and thatâs winning a gold medal. [Jerome] had Olympic dreams of his own, but he put himself aside to help me reach my dreams.â
âI donât take my job as a guide runner lightly. I know at this moment in time in my life, I was put here for a purpose â to see for someone who canât see. I donât know if thereâs any other feeling like that, knowing that you had a part in someone elseâs successes. If he wins, I automatically win. And thatâs how we approach everything we do.â
âWhen you go to the skate park, the people there are like, âLet me show you how do this, let me help you out.â It definitely can be intimidating, but people want to help because weâre all there for the same reason: we all love to skate.â
âI started my impossible because I think a lot of people just thought âgirls donât do that. Itâs impossible or itâs not normal for them to try.â I decided, âNo, Iâm going to go do it. I know I can do it.â That was a turning point for me, when I realized I can make anything possible.â
âI was given this opportunity to reach an impossible goal. Now Iâm ready to give back, to help pave the way and create opportunities for other adaptive athletes.â