While she is used to being on display and swimming in front of thousands of people, she said Super Bowl Sunday is a day she will never forget. I would be happy for anybody to showcase the Paralympics but the fact they chose me for this spot just feels like the biggest honour.” She added: “I was there (at the Games) when I was 12 and not a lot of people knew about the Paralympics. “It’s been 18 years in the making, 18 years for this type of coverage for the Paralympics and for my story. Still, she finds it hard to believe that Toyota is showcasing her story during the Super Bowl, one of the most watched television sport spectacles, just like the company did in the middle of the big game in the past with two other Paralympic stars Amy Purdy and Lauren Woolstencroft. Heading into her fifth Paralympics in Tokyo and now 28, Long has won 23 Paralympic medals including 13 golds, making her the second most decorated Paralympian in US history, behind fellow swimmer Trischa Zorn (46 medals, 32 golds). I just had such determination and a spirit to keep fighting.”Ĭlick here and change your settings to allow That’s really intimidating sometimes when you don’t see anybody that looks like you. “I was nervous and scared at times to be the only girl missing legs on the swim team. The commercial shows a little girl on crutches and being in a locker room feeling all alone. I started this sport because I truly loved the water. “I didn’t start out the sport thinking that I was going to win gold medals or to be in a Super Bowl commercial. There was her discomfort with not having her legs, the hurt early on from the adoption not being able to talk about it and swimming always being there as her oasis. Long said the ad perfectly captures her life’s story in one minute. The way Toyota was able to capture all of that, it brings all of these emotions out that I kind of forgot about.” “It’s such an emotional spot,” Long said. Born in Siberia with a rare condition that meant her legs had to be amputated, she was adopted by a US family from a Russian orphanage when she was a year old. The ad from long-time International Paralympic Committee partner Toyota highlights her journey and accomplishments. The National Football League (NFL) championship – which pitted the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 7 February- is one of the most-viewed sporting events around the world, making ad spots competitive. US Para swimming star Jessica Long said it is rare for her to get emotional. She never even got teary eyed standing on the top of the medal podium at the Paralympics listening to her national anthem, something she has done on a regular basis since she was a 12-year-old in her first Games at Athens 2004.īut the tears have not stopped flowing after watching an emotional 60-second Super Bowl commercial that told her incredible story.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |