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.
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LifestyleTranscript
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.