Why The New Toyota Commercial Has The Internet In Tears

There are dozens of inspiring commercials being showcased during broadcasts of the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, but there's one specific ad that's consistently bringing the internet to tears. First shown on screens during the 2021 Super Bowl, Toyota's "Star Your Impossible" commercial (via YouTube) features 13-time Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long as she swims through her life story.

Adopted from a Russian orphanage when she was 13-months-old, Long's journey has been arduous. The swimmer was born with a rare condition that resulted in both her legs being amputated, but that didn't deter her adoptive parents from welcoming her into their family in Baltimore. "It might not be easy, but it'll be amazing," her adoptive mom says in the spot. "I can't wait to meet her." Cue the tears.

While the commercial only runs for one minute, Long's story packs such an emotional punch that even the swimmer herself can't help but tear up either. "It's such an emotional spot. It's so raw. The way Toyota was able to capture all of that, it brings all of these emotions out that I kind of forgot about," she said in February 2021 (via the International Paralympic Committee).

The 60-second spot starts with Jessica Long floating on her back in the water, before she sets off to swim through different moments of her life. Starting with the phone call with her adopted mother, Long can be seen swimming through key moments that shaped her into one of the Paralympic's most successful athletes (via Olympics).

"I didn't start out the sport thinking that I was going to win medals or be in a Super Bowl commercial," Long explained (via the International Paralympic Committee). "I started this sport because I truly loved the water. It was a place that I felt really free."

Showing moments where Long felt alone in the locker room, the swimmer explained that she often found herself feeling "nervous and scared" because she was "the only girl missing legs on the swim team." She added, "That's really intimidating sometimes when you don't see anybody that looks like you. I just had such determination and a spirit to keep fighting."

And she certainly did. Attending her first Paralympic Games when she was 12-years-old, Long has gone on to hold multiple world records and win over 60 world championship medals (via Team USA).