Yahoo Finance American Paralympic Athletes Remind Fans Why They Should Tune in for the Games in Powerful Video
Team USA is encouraging sports fans not to miss out on the Paralympic Games - and doing so by letting athletes' skills speak for themselves.
On Thursday, Team USA announced the launch of its "Show the World" campaign as a celebration of the diversity and elite talent within the U.S. Paralympic team. The campaign coincides with the beginning of the U.S. Paralympic Team trials, which are being held in Minneapolis from June 12-20.
In the campaign video, Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku discusses the low viewership of the Paralympic Games while highlighting athletes like eight-time Paralympic medalist David Wagner, Paralympic gold medalist Katie Holloway, six-time Paralympic medalist Oz Sanchez, and more in their respective sports.
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"At its core, the Paralympic Games represent inclusivity and the infinite possibility of sport," said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland in a statement. "The incredible talent and strength of all Team USA Paralympic athletes continue to showcase the best of our country's diverse abilities and backgrounds, and ultimately helps to create pathways to grow the pipeline for participation in Paralympic sport. The competition at the U.S. Paralympic Team Trials and Paralympic Games is going to be impossible to miss, and I can't wait for the world to tune in."
USOPC/YouTube Femita Ayanbeku
The U.S. Paralympic Team trials for cycling, swimming, and track and field begin Thursday and will precede an announcement of who will represent Team USA at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
In partnership with Toyota, the campaign also revealed a nearly $5 million donation to Paralympic athletes hoping to compete at the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Games. The initiative consists of stipend opportunities to all athletes currently in contention to represent Team USA at the next two Paralympic Games. Once named to the U.S. Paralympic Team, all athletes will have the opportunity to opt-in to additional sponsorship opportunities.
"Show the World" hopes to grow inclusion through sports, specifically leading up to Los Angeles hosting the 2028 Paralympic Games.
"Being a part of this campaign means people will get to see that disability does not mean inability," said sprinter Ayanebeku. "We are stronger than our physical differences and it's time for us to show the world."
For the first time, the U.S. Paralympic Trials will also be livestreamed across NBC's Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and NBC Sports App platform.
To learn more about all the Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Paralympics begin August 24th on NBC.
