World-Class Athletes Inspire Viewers To Start Their Impossible In Olympic Channel’s What Moves Me

With one year to go to next summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 hosted in 2021, Olympic and Paralympic elite athletes share personal stories from coping with uncertainty to building resilience in the new original series What Moves Me Presented by Toyota. 

The six-episode Olympic Channel web series premiered worldwide on Monday, 20 July at olympicchannel.com, and its apps for mobile, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and the Roku platform. In addition, the series will air on NBCSN in the United States on 26 July at 7:00 p.m. EDT.

Presented in partnership with Toyota, What Moves Me features inspirational lessons from world-class Team Toyota athletes who share their stories about overcoming common personal barriers and starting their own impossible. The digital series was produced exclusively for Toyota and the Olympic Channel by JustSo, an award-winning and independent creative studio based in London.

In the premiere episode of What Moves Me, U.S. Olympic gold medallist diver David Boudia details his struggles competing at the elite level with disappointment at the Beijing Games leading him into depression and suicidal thoughts as he lost his sense of purpose. Olympic gold did not come easy and Boudia shares that the key to his success is not to focus on the result, but to value the journey and enjoy life to its fullest potential by finding a balance.

Additional episodes feature athletes from around the world who share their experiences of overcoming life’s challenges including Australian wheelchair tennis player Dylan Alcott, New Zealand pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart, Brasilian blind footballer Ricardo Alves, Canadian wrestler Erica Wiebe and Japanese para-long jumper Ashida Hajimu.

“The launch of the What Moves Me series is an exciting milestone for Olympic Channel and Toyota,” said Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. “After the success of last year’s series, we’re happy to partner with Olympic Channel yet again to share inspirational stories from our Global Team Toyota Athletes. Each athlete’s path to success is unique and we applaud them for sharing their emotional bravery. We hope viewers across the world are encouraged to start their own impossible after watching the series.”

“We are grateful to have Worldwide Olympic Partner Toyota demonstrate their support for the Olympic Movement and belief in the Olympic values through its commitment to the Olympic Channel,” said Mark Parkman, General Manager of the IOC’s global Olympic Channel. “Our collaboration on What Moves Me allows us to connect the inspiring stories of these athletes to audiences around the world through compelling storytelling across multiple platforms.”

Toyota is an Olympic Channel Founding Partner, and worked with the Olympic Channel team to co-develop What Moves Me. The branded content series complements Toyota’s Worldwide TOP partnership with the IOC and their long-term commitment to support the creation of a more inclusive and sustainable society in which everyone can challenge their impossible through stories of determination as well as through Toyota technologies.

Offering year-round coverage of Olympic sports and elite athletes in their quest for success, the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Olympic Channel over-the-top (OTT) streaming service is available worldwide and subscription-free at olympicchannel.com, and on its apps for mobile and connected TV devices.

Olympic Channel Episode Guide: What Moves Me

Episode 1 – VALUING THE JOURNEY

David Boudia, the U.S. Olympic gold medallist diver, went to his first Olympic Games at age 19. Then, everything started to crumble.

Episode 2 – TALKING IT OUT

Dylan Alcott, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist for Australia, was bullied growing up in a wheelchair.

Episode 3 – CHANGING PERSPECTIVE

Olivia McTaggart, a New Zealand pole vaulter aiming for her first Olympics, felt crushing disappointment when she broke her back.

Episode 4 – PROVING THEM WRONG

Ricardo Alves, Brazil’s captain of the three-time gold medallist 5-a-side football team, overcame all odds in believing in his own abilities.

Episode 5 – FINDING YOUR PLACE

Erica Wiebe, an Olympic gold medallist in women’s 75kg freestyle wrestling for Canada, experienced stigma and self-doubt when pursuing her sport.

Episode 6 – TAKING SMALL STEPS

Ashida Hajimu, a Paralympian in relay, triple and long jump for Japan, experienced immense disappointment as he could not reach the final at Rio 2016.

Source: Toyota

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