Team Toyota Athletes Roster Grows -- Sponsor Spotlight

(ATR) On Wednesday March 6th, Toyota announced 14 new team USA athletes and three returning U.S. Paralympians to join Team Toyota. The selected athlete’s act as ambassadors of the Toyota brand and promote the company’s vision of mobility. As one of the many ways of promoting Team Toyota, Toyota will host Toyota’s Team USA Day marking the start of the athlete’s journey in their affiliation with the company.

After Toyota’s announcement, Around the Rings interviewed Ed Laukas, vice president of Toyota Division Marketing at Toyota North America, and a few athletes on Team Toyota, Jordyn Barratt, David Brown, guide runner Jerome Avery, and Simone Manuel.

Around the Rings: This is Toyota’s first full Olympic cycle. What are you aiming to get out of this sponsorship?

Ed Laukas: I think the first things was when we went to and starting engaging with the NGBs and athletes it was a real learning experience for us because we did not have any real experience in the Olympic space beyond a little partnership with USA hockey that had been going on a little while before us signing the global team partnership.

For us we had to figure out what we were going to stand for, what the purpose was of the sponsorship...And that was as we start to transition we are using this platform to set up and transition from being a car company to being a mobility company.

We tried to build wide breath in the different NGBs and athletes both in Olympic and Paralympic, both of those spaces and also tried to look around the United States and where our dealers are and get them involved in this early on too.

ATR: What does Toyota think they can do to engage the population and bring more awareness to the Paralympic Games?

EL:One of the mantras of our CEO is that the Paralympic Games have been under served and he asked us to take that and try to raise that awareness starting with South Korea nd going into Tokyo and beyond with our sponsorship and our partnership. They all have incredible stories, in many cases these stories are so engaging and we really think they lend really well into our culture.

ATR: Anything else?

EL: We still believe that is one of our guiding lights that we can use this sponsorship platform to raise that Paralympic visibility, ratings, etc. I have a vision that some day in the future as an example, when I was in Korea watching [Chole Kim] win her gold medal, I envisioned that same broadcast that [Kim] came down with the traditional Olympic athletes that the Paralympic athletes would come down in the same halfpipe and have their medal round in the exact same broadcast. I think that would be the epitome of us taking Paralympics to the next level.

ATR: Any thoughts about the new sponsorship agreement and what does it mean to be the first crop of Olympic skateboarders?

Jordyn Barratt: I’m very excited for the Olympics it’s never really been something that was a possibility for me or a thought but to have this opportunity especially with skateboarding because it’s something I love and is special to me. But to partner with Toyota has been incredible and I couldn’t believe it at all its beyond my dreams.

They are a company I loved forever, my first car was a Tacoma and I’ve had it for four years and its super old and I’m very excited for the new upgrade, it’s a dream come true sponsor and the people have been so nice and helpful and what they stand for is super awesome with all the Paralympians and Olympians and just to hear their stories have been amazing.

ATR: How would you define Team Toyota? What does Team Toyota mean to you?

David Brown: Team Toyota to me is honestly like becoming a part of a family just like team USA that’s behind us all the time. Team Toyota is another family, another team that is behind us as well helping to push us forward in our dreams and our goals.

Jerome Avery: I am a guide runner so therefore when I think of Team Toyota, I think of helping other people getting to that next level.

Simone Manuel: I think that Team Toyota is a family and it also is a support system with their mission as a mobility company they really have allowed people to go beyond traditional barriers whether that may be from a mobility standpoint but also in any endeavor that they have in life. I also think that [mobility] is really important and through sports they really have supported everyone, and I think this is the perfect partnership.

ATR: Has the platform of the Olympics brought unexpected changes for anyone? Yourself and other skaters Jordyn ?

JB: I mean its definitely had some changes but also for the most part its been very positive, especially being a women’s skater, there are not a lot of opportunities, it is a male dominated sport. To have the Olympics that’s one of the most positive things in my eyes and it brings equality and brings equal opportunity for both men and women. For example to have such an opportunity with a company like Toyota so and then another thing is the prize purses in contests had never been equal or close to equal and then the Olympics made them be equal, so the Olympics do bring a lot of positive opportunities for that.

ATR: How is Toyota preparing all of you for Tokyo 2020?

SM: First of all, they're supporting us and our journey, our efforts to get on the medal stand. We have the opportunity to get a car and that’s going to be super helpful giving us that mobility to reach the goals that we have for ourselves.

ATR: How are you preparing for Tokyo 2020?

DB: Right now, preparing for Tokyo training six days a week twice a day and of course keeping the total goal or overall goal shall I say in mind which is goal in Tokyo. To continue to stay motivated in that aspect to continue to train push hard.

JA: Definitely remaining healthy as best as we can being athletes, we do push our bodies 100 percent every single day. Leaning off David, remaining healthy just working hard.

SM: I think my preparation for Tokyo isn’t too different than my preparation for Rio just continuing to work hard and learn about myself and my swimming at every practice and just get better.

ATR: As a guide runner how are you preparing for Tokyo 2020, Jerome?

JA: As a guide runner it can be draining, considering the fact that as a guide I can never just turn off my switch, I can never fully focus on myself. When I’m running with David, I always have to make sure not only is he ready, is he prepared, is he in the right state of mind, is he ready to run fast? But I also must keep him within those two lanes. So those are a lot of the things I am usually thinking of while I am guiding.

Running down the track talking to him keeping him in those lanes not only that before we cross the finish line he also has to be in front and I have to veer back a little bit just so we won’t be disqualified. So, there’s usually a lot of things going through my mind, but I definitely think what keeps it at ease is I know that hes prepared from our training to everything we done. So, leading into these games its usually pretty easy but my main focus is just making sure David is ready and I know once he’s ready were usually good to go.

ATR: What are you looking forward to or expecting once you are in Tokyo?

DB: Honestly, I feel the expectation in Tokyo is always to receive a gold medal but to get there and to compete when you line up on the line you never know what happens so of course go there and compete to your fullest ability and let the outcome be what it may.

SM: Obviously the goal in Tokyo is to win Olympic medals and get on that podium. Overall, I just want to compete well and represent Toyota and Team USA well.

Homepage photo: Toyota

Interviews done by Greer Wilson and Aaron Bauer.