By Quyen Nguyen
There is no limit to how great an athlete can be and Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) swimming athlete, Nathan Yamazaki is a great example of that. He was ecstatic when he received news that he would be participating in USA Games for the first time in Orlando, Florida. He is excited about racing alongside his teammates and against his competitors. He will be competing in the breaststroke, freestyle, and relay race for Team SOSC.
“I am preparing for USA Games by exercising at home, doing the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge with Coach Max, listening to my swim coaches, and doing my best during swim practice,” Nathan shares.
His passion for swimming and competitive nature keeps him focused on achieving his goal, in this case, winning medals. Even though Nathan has won gold medals before, he still wants to be the best in swimming. He says proudly, “Special Olympics has helped me by teaching me that if I work hard, I can do anything.”
Participating in Special Olympics has strengthened Nathan’s self-confidence and provided a safe environment for him to build character. He shares, “Special Olympics has improved me by helping me make new friends and now I feel comfortable talking to new people”.
It takes an enormous amount of strength to step out of one’s comfort zone and Nathan has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with. He is more than ready to take on any challenge! He shared that aside from the satisfaction of winning, deep down, he truly wants to make everyone proud.
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