Team USA on Representing Their Country at the Olympics & Paralympics

SELF Magazine

Many athletes dream of representing their country one day. SELF asked Team USA how it feels competing for their country at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games.

Transcript

00:00I think Team USA is a team that everybody looks up to when it comes to

00:07sports when it comes to greatness and being an athlete we have the best we

00:12foster such greatness so it means a lot to be part of it because we value sports

00:17we value what sports can do and representing a team like that means a

00:21lot. Representing Team USA in the Olympics is like the biggest honor that

00:26there is to be wearing USA across my chest going for gold medals playing

00:32with and against the best players in the world there's nothing like it and that's

00:36why it's just like in a class of its own. I feel like I'm on top of the world I

00:42feel like a superhero there's only so many people that get to wear that Team

00:45USA uniform and I wear it with respect and honor and it it feels good to

00:50represent my own country and have that USA across my chest. Just being able to

00:55wear the flag and the crest on my jacket and on my heart and being able to

01:00listen to the anthem when I win and put my hand right here is absolutely

01:05incredible there's no other feeling like it. There's a quote that I love that

01:08says oftentimes we're so wrapped up in what we have going on we don't realize

01:12we're in the middle of what we used to pray for. I'm in the middle of what I

01:16used to pray for as a little kid so I never take that for granted I'm

01:19unbelievably grateful I sit here appreciate all the a million variables

01:23that are moving so fast 24-7 because this is what my 10 11 year old self used

01:29to pray for. I think the best way to put it is it's really just an honor I mean

01:32when you hear the national anthem playing after winning a big event or

01:37you're able to put on a USA like gear of any sort you really feel it there's a

01:44there's a different level to it where you're representing your country

01:47especially at the Olympics. It's always so incredible and so humbling I think for

01:53me too like I represent my Hawaiian culture I represent people with my

01:57disability I carry the weight but I am so grateful too and I think it's been an

02:03incredible team to be on. Representing Team USA gives me a whole new meaning to

02:07what I do I think a lot of athletes are constantly asked why they do it and I

02:11think that answers kind of always revolve around the passion they have for

02:16the sport which is so true but a whole other reason for skateboarders now is to

02:20win medals for their country and that's what I really feel like my purpose is.

02:23Incredible. Pride, joy, feels like you have the support of millions of people

02:30behind you millions of people rooting for you to bring home a medal for Team

02:35USA. When I was little I was always kind of jealous of my friends who were like

02:42joining the military and not because I wanted to go to war but because I saw

02:47them as representing something bigger than me. When I found out that I could

02:50represent America through a sport that was like a game-changer for me because

02:56now I get to still fulfill my dream of wanting to represent something bigger

03:00and representing America like that's awesome right so it makes me very

03:06prideful I'm still something that I I hold very high in in my book of

03:11accomplishments probably honestly higher than winning medals. The team didn't

03:15qualify last time and you were on that team and you guys have done such a good

03:18job of like letting us know that it's not a given that you're gonna make it

03:21to the Olympics and that you have to put in so much work. I was on the team when

03:24we missed out on the Tokyo qualification in 2019 and that was obviously

03:29incredibly devastating to miss out on. To be able to have had that low and then

03:33have that high I think makes that moment even more special and like to be able to

03:36celebrate it with like amazing athletes like Abby it's just unbelievable makes

03:39it so special to like have that like just honored to be a part of it. I feel

03:44really proud of representing Team USA because I probably can do anything yeah

03:51and be myself on the stage. Growing up as a kid in sports you look and look up to

03:59all these Team USA athletes for your whole life and just being on Team USA is

04:02the pinnacle of sports in the United States so to be able to be on that team

04:07and represent my country and kind of fulfill my dreams is everything to me.

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