summer games

Our last guest for Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo is the ultimate tale of perseverance. Lex Gillette is a blind paralympic long jumper whose also a motivational speaker. Lex has attended four Paralympics and has four silver medals. He’s also a world record holder.

Despite the accolades, Lex truly wants to spread his message of hope and achieving your goals through his trademarked tagline: “There’s no need for sight, when you have a vision.”

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Our guest today was one of the first Americans to qualify for Tokyo games, even before they were canceled last year. Brooke Raboutou was literally born to climb. Coming from a famous rock climbing family, she doesn’t remember a time she wasn’t climbing. Brooke is from Colorado and moved back there when coronavirus hit. She currently attends school at the University of San Diego as a junior. She does a lot of her training here, so she’s definitely an honorary San Diegan and can easily navigate through town.

Brooke is a young talent that will likely make multiple Olympic appearances now that sport climbing is an official sport of the Olympics.

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A lot of biggest Olympic sports, like swimming or gymnastics dominate the headlines. This week we wanted to feature an athlete in an overlooked sport who deserves just as much respect.

Brady Ellison has been shooting his shot as an Olympic archer for years. He’s been to three Olympics and has silver-medaled each time. Brady has set the bar in archery with his skill and has an incredible comeback story you might not believe.

Brady talks about how a Slovenian doctor healed his finger injury when he contemplated giving up the sport. It’s something of comic-book lore, and our conversation took a surprising spiritual turn. Enjoy this conversation with the Legolas of the Olympics.

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This week we sit down with dynamic duo Abby Gustaitis and Kasey McCravey. They're both sweet in person, but salty on the rugby field. This was an incredible conversation getting the female perspective in such a male-dominated sport.

Abby and Kasey both shared how they’re breaking stereotypes, proving they can compete with the boys. One of them was actually recruited for rugby after making it on an ESPN's Top 10 Countdown for an amazing college softball play. This was a fun conversation, and you'll be able to sense their chemistry on and off the field.

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Jesse Smith is our hometown hero hailing from Coronado. Jesse is a bit of a local legend. Tokyo will be his fourth Olympic appearance. At 37-years-old, he’s considered the dad of the team. His veteran qualities and experiences in high-stakes matches make him the perfect captain for Team USA Water Polo.

As you’ll come to find out, Jesse is really just a big kid at heart. He even wrote his own children’s book during the pandemic. His hopeful attitude is infectious and this was one of our favorite conversations. We spoke to Jesse at his old stomping grounds at Coronado High School, where he met up on his beach cruiser.

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Training for Tokyo is a tough road, and perhaps one of the toughest athletes we heard from is this week's guest: Perry Baker on Team USA for rugby. Baker is on the hunt for gold after losing in Rio to Team Fiji. Fiji ended up being the world champions that year. You can say Perry has a chip on his shoulder and is looking to bounce back in Japan.

Baker has quite the sports background. Thanks to his quick speed, he achieved his dream of making it to the NFL. Unfortunately, he had to be pulled out due to injury. Baker opens up about turning his so-called failure into opportunity and how the incident, with the help of his famous uncle, led to a thriving career in professional rugby.

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There probably isn’t another athlete who knows the Olympics better than long jumper Brittney Reese.

Why? - because she’s been to the Olympics four times! Reese is a 7-time world champion and 8-time medalist. But, as you’ll come to find out, her accolades are just one chapter to her story. We sat down with Reese at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista where she shared how she balances being a single-mom with her Olympic obligations. On top of it all, you’ll hear how she stays driven and committed to her craft.

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As we get closer to the games, we’re highlighting notable San Diego athletes going for gold. No one has a better chance than swimmer Kathleen Baker. 

If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s already an Olympic champion from Rio, where she won a gold and silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and the individual 100-meter backstroke. Kathleen is also just 24 years-old. Despite her young age, Kathleen has had her share of challenges. In fact, her auto-immune disease almost stood in her way of getting back to Tokyo.

In Episode 3, Kathleen shares her fondness of her legendary swim coach, whose name you might also recognize, and why she makes it a point to wear pearl earrings during her competitions.

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This week we have a true story about triumph over tragedy. Alise and Sam Willoughby are considered the royal couple in the BMX community. They not only share a love of the extreme sport, but they also share a few Olympic medals between them.

As you’ll come to find out, this couple has been put through the wringer and back. In 2016, Sam suffered a terrible BMX accident during a normal run at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista. That same day, doctors deemed him permanently paralyzed and he’s been wheelchair-bound ever since. 

But this isn’t a sad story. Sam is now coaching his wife Alise and her quest for gold. Take a listen to one of the most inspiring stories you’ll hear in this series.

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Kicking off our first episode is a young man whose the pride of Hawaii, embodying the spirit of aloha. Heimana Reynolds was born to be on a board. His deep roots to the Hawaiian culture matched with his love of skateboarding is a winning combination. He’s only 23-years-old, but he already has Shaun White and Tony Hawk on speed dial. Heimana is so far ahead of the competition, he’s almost a shoe-in to get to Tokyo.

We caught up with Heimana on a day he received his Team USA swag at his home in Carlsbad. 

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From NBC 7 San Diego, "Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo" brings you inside the mind of several San Diego elite athletes competing for one thing: a medal on the world stage. NBC 7 Anchor Steven Luke sits down with Olympic stars of swimming, water polo, rock climbing, skateboarding, and other sports about training regimens and diets, as well as their personal lives and how they've been coping with the delay of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo" launches on May 3rd and will publish once a week until the Opening Ceremonies on July 23rd.

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