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This familiar TV ad inspires us beyond the Olympic Games

Jessica Long Toyota
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Cerith Gardiner - published on 08/09/21
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The powerful commercial is the most important takeaway from the Olympics.

The Tokyo Games have been inspirational in so many ways. We've seen examples of extraordinary sportsmanship, and reported on the impact faith has had on so many Olympic champions, such as athletes sharing their gold medal and the surprising Marian devotions of some of our top Olympians.

Yet, behind the actual performances there are stand-out stories and one of them is of paralympian, Jessica Long, and her whopping 13 gold medals.

The Toyota commercial has been running for a while now and explains the story of how the swimmer overcame her medical condition and subsequent amputation of her legs, to go on to become the champion she is today.

While you may be familiar with the one-minute ad, its message is one we can all takeaway from this year's Olympics. While we can't all be gold medalists, we can live with the message of Long's adoptive mom when she says her new daughter's life "won't be easy, but it'll be amazing." It's a declaration of hope, faith, and love.

Life isn't about gaining medals (although complete admiration to all our sporting heroes!) but about making the most of the precious life we've been given.

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