Toyota’s ‘Start Your Impossible’ program is about believing in making a positive difference — whoever you are
FROM WHERE we were seated on the stands of the Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre, the frenzied splashing in the swimming pool — and the quickly moving swimmers making it — were nothing out of the ordinary as far as heart-pounding competitions go. It was the same vibe at the 81,000-person-capacity Stade de France in Saint-Denis. The massive athletics venue was abuzz with excited, noisy fans, and athletes exploded from the starting blocks in a blur as they made for the finish line. The Champ de Mars Arena, where we took in a bit judo action, was no different. Flags of participating countries were waved frenetically as feet stomped on the bleachers to further spur the judokas.
Welcome to the Paris 2024 Paralympic games.
Just because an athlete may be missing a limb or more, or is visually impaired, or intellectually impaired, or shorter in height than the average, does not diminish the quality of their participation in their chosen sport. In fact, it only serves to magnify their greatness, their spirit, their heart.
The water does not discriminate, the judo floor mat does not discriminate, the oval track does not discriminate. The Paralympics, which have ensued following the regular winter and summer editions of the Olympic games since 1988 in Seoul, actually began as a sporting event of British World War II veterans in 1948. By 1960, that number grew to some 400 participants from 23 countries. This year’s spectacle in Paris featured around 4,000 athletes; all masters of what they do. Regardless of where they competed, we gleaned the singular resolve, the focus to win.
“Nakakabilib sila (They’re impressive),” remarked Carlos Yulo to “Velocity” right after we watched the para swimmers. Our very own double-gold-medal winner at the Paris Olympics just a few weeks before, Mr. Yulo’s unprecedented feat in France — in addition to the gymnast’s previous conquests — have already assured his place in Philippine sports history as he boosted our country’s credentials in the most important international sporting spectacle.
Mr. Yulo and his girlfriend Chloe San Jose were guests of Toyota Motor Asia and Toyota Motor Philippines, along with media members from the markets of TMA.
Also in town was Ernie Gawilan, our para swimming contender who has the distinction of being our first-ever gold medalist at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
The two Filipinos and nine other athletes from the TMA markets help to enshrine and express the vision and hopes of Toyota for “mobility for all,” not just a funky catchphrase but a real commitment evidenced by what the global company has been doing these past years. For a period spanning 2017 to this year, Toyota is “top partner” of both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) — becoming the official mobility partner of Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024.
An offshoot of this long commitment to the aforementioned global games, Toyota forged its “first-ever global corporate initiative” through “Start Your Impossible” (or SYI) — inspired by Olympic and Paralympic athletes “who are constantly challenging their impossible, carrying the hopes and aspirations of entire nations.” Through SYI, the program supports around 250 athletes from 49 markets — an aggrupation called Global Team Toyota Athletes (GTTA).
Zooming in on Asia, Toyota backs 11 athletes from nine of the region’s 16 markets and emphasizes that this subset of athletes (to which, yes, Messrs. Yulo and Gawilan belong) are not just sports heroes but champions for doing social good as well — thus the term “dual heroes.” “These GTTAs give back to the communities that have shaped their ‘dual hero’ identity, becoming a force for good in both sport and social advocacy,” underscored Toyota. It’s thus about realizing the erstwhile “impossible” in the areas of sports and social causes.
“At Toyota, our vision of ‘Mobility for All’ is the cornerstone of everything we do. As part of this ethos, the SYI initiative is more than a campaign, but a reflection of our dedication in creating a world that is more inclusive, sustainable, and mobile,” said Toyota Motor Asia President Hao Quoc Tien in a welcome letter to Asian delegates of the Paris 2024 Paralympics. “We believe that as long as you can move, anything is possible. We are committed to empower people to challenge themselves, push boundaries, and achieve their own ‘impossible.’”
Speaking to members of the Philippine media, Mr. Tien underscored that TMA really focuses on the “dual hero” aspect of its partnership with select athletes of the region — not just for the mentioned reasons but because he wants a lasting effect long after the competitions have wrapped up. “Sponsoring sports is good, but when the (event) ends, there is no legacy left behind. I want our athletes to leave something behind,” he maintained.
Thus, when TMA went out to select its athletes to partner with, the firm looked at that particular quality. “Ernie, for instance, is known in other countries as well, and he’s a good example of a dual hero,” continued Mr. Tien. Ernie Gawilan loves the ocean and is passionate about looking after it. After all, he professed to have once trained extensively there. Through his partnership with Toyota Motor Philippines, Ernie and other people he inspired made a difference in a big way back in 2019 when a massive cleanup and mangrove planting effort was organized in a coastal community in Davao.
Over 1,900 people comprised of volunteers from the dealership network of TMP, nongovernmental organizations, LGU partners, and 35 coastal communities from across the country planted some 40,000 mangrove propagules and collected 1,200 sacks of waste.
It’s about fostering awareness, added Mr. Tien, but the work and causes need to be sustainable as well. That’s why he is extra proud about Mr. Gawilan and what he espouses. “What he is doing can be scaled,” insisted the TMA head. “If something cannot be sustained or scaled, once you stop, nothing will happen.”
Ernie and TMP are gearing up for another similar activity soon.
Carlos Yulo is also a dual athlete himself — a “champion for orphans and children below the poverty line.” Aside from being the first male athlete in Southeast Asia to bring home a gold medal from the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2019, the gymnast wants to apply himself and give back to the community through feeding programs in partnership with TMP, and is open to the possibility of working with budding gymnasts so that more may follow in his success.
Mr. Tien is proud about these dual heroes and believes that they fit perfectly into Toyota’s overarching message of mobility for all — not just in the literal sense that Toyota is working hard to enable PWDs through various mobility/transportation solutions (more on these next week), but in empowering their spirits and smashing a perceived ceiling on what they can achieve.
Sounds like a plausible, and possible, aspiration — and inspiration — for all of us.
