PLANO, Texas, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Imagine a
world where mobility is no guarantee. Where getting to the grocery
store or rising out of bed is not taken for granted. Team
USA athletes Amy Purdy and J.R
Celski know this world. And so do Alana Nichols, Torin
Yater-Wallace and many others.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8053331-toyota-mobility-olympics/
Toyota today announced the addition of 19 Team USA athletes to its Team Toyota roster,
including Purdy, Celski, Nichols and Yater-Wallace. These athletes
may be the world's best, but each has had their own challenges–
their own 'impossibles'. Each has triumphed and overcome,
just as Toyota is encouraging people around the world to do – to
start their own impossibles.
"Toyota has a desire to do more and to continue to positively
impact people's lives," said Jack
Hollis, group vice president and general manager for Toyota
division. "As The Human Movement Company, we're dedicated to
helping people and consumers around the world move through life,
overcome obstacles and achieve their dreams. Our Team Toyota
athletes exemplify these values and will showcase their own stories
of progress and achievement to become the best in the world."
After launching earlier this month, Toyota's 'Start Your
Impossible' campaign highlights Toyota's mission to create a
barrier-free society and reinforces the company's values of
humility, hard work, overcoming challenges, and never giving up.
Team Toyota will highlight these values as its athletes serve to
demonstrate the ultimate discovery of one's true potential leading
into the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018.
"Our Team Toyota athletes are a great representation of
strength, perseverance and determination to achieve goals that so
many people would deem impossible," said Ed
Laukes, group vice president, Toyota division marketing. "As
they continue to achieve their dreams, we look forward to
celebrating alongside them and sharing their achievements with the
world to continue to inspire those watching to create their own
journey."
A member of Team Toyota since 2014, bronze medalist and U.S.
Paralympian Amy Purdy continues her 'impossible' journey as she
hopes to return to the Paralympic Winter Games where she will
compete in snowboard cross. At 19 years old, Purdy contracted
bacterial meningitis, leading to the amputation of her legs below
the knee.
"I'm excited to continue partnering with Toyota as they use the
Olympic and Paralympic Games as a platform to push for mobility for
all," Purdy said. "Mobility is more than how you get places – it's
challenging yourself to be a better person both physically and
emotionally. I stand with Toyota in encouraging everyone to be
their best self and athlete."
Also hoping to continue his 'impossible' journey is two-time
U.S. Olympian and speedskater J.R.
Celski. After suffering a potentially career-ending injury
on ice in 2009, Celski got back to training just two months before
his first Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver where he won two bronze medals.
"With Toyota so importantly focused on helping others achieve
their goals and move successfully through life, it's fitting
they're an Olympic partner and I'm proud to be on Team Toyota,"
Celski said. "I've certainly faced difficulties throughout my
career, but through hard work and dedication, I've come closer to
reaching my goal of competing in my third Olympic Winter Games.
It's great to work with a company that wants to challenge people to
go out and be their best – to do good in this world and challenge
the status quo."
In March of 2015, the International Olympic Committee announced
Toyota as a TOP (The Olympic Partner) Programme partner in the
newly created mobility category through 2024. In addition to its
relationship with the IOC, Toyota is also a Proud Partner of Team
USA and supports: the
International Paralympic Committee; Team USA; the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association;
US Speedskating; U.S. Figure Skating; USA Hockey and the U.S. National Sled Hockey
Team; U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing; U.S. Paralympics Nordic
Skiing; and U.S. Paralympics Snowboarding.
Team Toyota's athletes include:
J.R. Celski (U.S. Short
Track Speedskating) – a two-time U.S. Olympian, Celski
overcame a potentially career-ending injury to make his Olympic
Winter Games Vancouver 2010 debut where he won bronze in the 5000m
and 1500m relay. In his latest Olympic Winter Games appearance,
Celski won silver in the 5000m relay at Sochi.
Elena Hight (U.S.
Snowboard Team) – a two-time
U.S. Olympian, Hight became the first female to land a 900 in
competition at just 13 years old and, in 2013, became the first
snowboarder, male or female, to land a double backside alley-oop
rodeo in competition.
Lindsey Jacobellis
(U.S. Snowboard Team)
– a three-time U.S. Olympian and five-time World Champion,
Jacobellis captured the silver medal in snowboardcross at the
Olympic Winter Games in Turin. In
addition to an Olympic Medal, Jacobellis also holds the record for
the most gold medals (ten) won at the
Winter X Games by a female.
Stephanie Jallen (U.S. Para
Alpine Skiing) – a two-time U.S. Paralympian and bronze
medalist, Jallen was born with a rare birth defect called CHILDS
that left her with only her right leg and right arm. After debuting
at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014, Jallen received the Team
USA 'Best Paralympic Moment' award
from the USOC.
Gus Kenworthy (U.S.
Freeski Team) – made his Olympic
Winter Games Sochi 2014 debut where he won the silver medal in
men's slopestyle skiing. Kenworthy is a five-time X Games medalist,
six-time AFP overall title winner and in 2015, became the
first openly gay male action sports athlete.
Chloe Kim (U.S.
Snowboard Team) – a 2018 U.S.
Olympic hopeful, Kim is the only athlete in X Games history to earn
three gold medals before the age of 16. She was also the first
female to land back-to-back 1080s and to score a perfect 100 at the
2016 U.S. Grand Prix in Park City.
Hailey Langland
(U.S. Snowboard Team)
– became the youngest snowboarder to compete at the X Games
in 2017, earning a gold medal at the debut of women's Big Air..
Langland looks to make her Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang
debut.
Ted Ligety (U.S. Ski
Team) – a two-time U.S. Olympic gold
medalist and five-time World Champion, Ligety became the youngest
American male to win a gold medal in alpine skiing at the age of 21
and, in 2014, won the first-ever U.S. Olympic gold medal for Team
USA in giant slalom.
Oksana Masters (U.S. Para
Nordic Skiing and Biathlon) – a three-time U.S. Paralympian
and a silver and bronze medalist, Masters had both legs amputated
as a child as a result of in-utero poisoning from the Chernobyl
nuclear reactor incident in Ukraine.
Alana Nichols (U.S. Para
Alpine Skiing) – a six-time U.S. medalist in the Paralympic
Games, Nichols became the first female to win gold medals at
both the Olympic or Paralympic Games and Olympic or Paralympic
Winter Games, competing in wheelchair basketball and alpine skiing.
Nichols was an able-bodied snowboarder until an injury in 2002 left
her paralyzed from the waist down.
Steven Nyman (U.S.
Ski Team) – a three-time U.S.
Olympian, Nyman podiumed in four consecutive events in 2016,
beginning at the PyeongChang Olympic test event in Jeongseon where
he finished third.
Amy Purdy (U.S. Para
Snowboarding) – a U.S. bronze medalist at the Paralympic
Winter Games Sochi 2014, Purdy began snowboarding seven months
after receiving leg prosthetics at the age of 19. She is the
cofounder of Adaptive Action Spots (AAS), an organization dedicated
to creating opportunities for athletes with physical
disabilities.
Rico Roman (U.S. Paralympic
Sled Hockey) – won a gold medal as part of the U.S.
National Sled Hockey Team at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi
2014. Roman is a retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant serving four
tours of overseas duty. During his third tour in Iraq he was badly wounded by an improvised
explosive device which eventually led to have his left leg
amputated.
Evan Strong (U.S. Para
Snowboarding) – became the first male Team USA athlete to win an individual gold medal in
snowboarding at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. Strong grew
up surfing and skateboarding in Hawaii. At the age of 17 while he was on a
motorcycle, he was hit head on by a driver which led to a below the
knee amputation of his left leg. Strong does not let anything limit
him and has competed in and won medals in able body snowboard
events.
Sugar Todd (U.S. Long Track Speedskating) –
qualified for her first Olympic Winter Games in Sochi where she
competed for Team USA in the 500m
and 1000m. Todd started speedskating at the age of eight, making
her first World Cup Team in 2012.
Danelle Umstead (U.S. Para
Alpine Skiing) – captured a combined three bronze medals at
the Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Sochi. At the age of 13, Umstead
was diagnosed with a genetic eye condition that eventually causes
blindness.
Louie Vito (U.S.
Snowboard Team) – a Toyota
ambassador since 2011, Vito competed for Team USA in his first Olympic Winter Games in
Vancouver. He became the first
snowboarder to land a front-side double-cork 1080 in competition
and looks to return to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang
2018.
Ashley Wagner (U.S. Figure
Skating) – Won the 2012-13 U.S. Figure Skating
Championships, becoming the first figure skater to claim
back-to-back titles since 2005. Wagner also took Team USA to a podium finish with a bronze medal in
the team competition at the Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 and a
silver medal at the 2016 World Championships.
Torin Yater-Wallace
(U.S. Freeski Team) –
made his Olympic Winter Games Sochi 2014 debut after battling with
with an injury during the Olympic qualification series.
Yater-Wallace won the first Olympic qualification event at the 2017
Toyota U.S. Grand Prix at Mammoth Mountain and the Olympic test
event halfpipe competition in PyeongChang in February 2017. Torin has 5 X Games medals (2
gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) including a Gold in Oslo 2016 and Tignes 2013.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of
the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North
America for 60 years, and is committed to advancing
sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus
brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value
chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design,
engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks
in North America, where we operate
14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more
than 46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800
North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost
2.7 million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 –
and about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15
years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive
know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to
assist more people move more places. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Media Contacts:
Leigh Anne Sessions
Toyota Corporate Communications
Leigh.Sessions@toyota.com
424.488.4200
Laura Finley
LFinley@golin.com
213.379.4524
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SOURCE Toyota