Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo
11 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 32 ratingsFrom America’s Finest City to the world stage in Japan. We’re under 100 days out from the Olympics and San Diego star athletes have their sights set on one thing: representing Team USA in Tokyo. Join NBC 7 Anchor Steven Luke as he profiles dozens of San Diego athletes headed to the Summer Games to achieve their Olympic Dreams.
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Episodes
Lex Gillette, Paralympic Long Jumper
July 05, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBOur last guest for Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo is the ultimate tale of perseverance. Lex Gillette is a blind paralympic long jumper whose also a motivational speaker. Lex has attended four Paralympics and has four silver medals. He’s also a world record holder. Despite the accolades, Lex truly wants to spread his message of hope and achieving your goals through his trademarked tagline: “There’s no need for sight, when you have a vision.” For a full list of profiled local a...
Brooke Raboutou, Sport Climbing
June 28, 2021 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBOur guest today was one of the first Americans to qualify for Tokyo games, even before they were canceled last year. Brooke Raboutou was literally born to climb. Coming from a famous rock climbing family, she doesn’t remember a time she wasn’t climbing. Brooke is from Colorado and moved back there when coronavirus hit. She currently attends school at the University of San Diego as a junior. She does a lot of her training here, so she’s definitely an honorary San Diegan and can easil...
Brady Ellison, Archery
June 21, 2021 14:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBA lot of biggest Olympic sports, like swimming or gymnastics dominate the headlines. This week we wanted to feature an athlete in an overlooked sport who deserves just as much respect. Brady Ellison has been shooting his shot as an Olympic archer for years. He’s been to three Olympics and has silver-medaled each time. Brady has set the bar in archery with his skill and has an incredible comeback story you might not believe. Brady talks about how a Slovenian doctor healed his fing...
Abby Gustaitis and Kasey McCravey, Rugby
June 14, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week we sit down with dynamic duo Abby Gustaitis and Kasey McCravey. They're both sweet in person, but salty on the rugby field. This was an incredible conversation getting the female perspective in such a male-dominated sport. Abby and Kasey both shared how they’re breaking stereotypes, proving they can compete with the boys. One of them was actually recruited for rugby after making it on an ESPN's Top 10 Countdown for an amazing college softball play. This was a fun convers...
Jesse Smith, Water Polo
June 07, 2021 14:00 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MBJesse Smith is our hometown hero hailing from Coronado. Jesse is a bit of a local legend. Tokyo will be his fourth Olympic appearance. At 37-years-old, he’s considered the dad of the team. His veteran qualities and experiences in high-stakes matches make him the perfect captain for Team USA Water Polo. As you’ll come to find out, Jesse is really just a big kid at heart. He even wrote his own children’s book during the pandemic. His hopeful attitude is infectious and this was one of...
Perry Baker, Rugby
May 31, 2021 14:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBTraining for Tokyo is a tough road, and perhaps one of the toughest athletes we heard from is this week's guest: Perry Baker on Team USA for rugby. Baker is on the hunt for gold after losing in Rio to Team Fiji. Fiji ended up being the world champions that year. You can say Perry has a chip on his shoulder and is looking to bounce back in Japan. Baker has quite the sports background. Thanks to his quick speed, he achieved his dream of making it to the NFL. Unfortunately, he had to ...
Brittney Reese, Long Jumper
May 24, 2021 14:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBThere probably isn’t another athlete who knows the Olympics better than long jumper Brittney Reese. Why? - because she’s been to the Olympics four times! Reese is a 7-time world champion and 8-time medalist. But, as you’ll come to find out, her accolades are just one chapter to her story. We sat down with Reese at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista where she shared how she balances being a single-mom with her Olympic obligations. On top of it all, you’ll hear how she ...
Kathleen Baker, Swimming
May 17, 2021 14:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBAs we get closer to the games, we’re highlighting notable San Diego athletes going for gold. No one has a better chance than swimmer Kathleen Baker. If her name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s already an Olympic champion from Rio, where she won a gold and silver medal in the 4x100-meter medley relay and the individual 100-meter backstroke. Kathleen is also just 24 years-old. Despite her young age, Kathleen has had her share of challenges. In fact, her auto-immune disease almos...
Alise and Sam Willoughby, BMX
May 10, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 26 MBThis week we have a true story about triumph over tragedy. Alise and Sam Willoughby are considered the royal couple in the BMX community. They not only share a love of the extreme sport, but they also share a few Olympic medals between them. As you’ll come to find out, this couple has been put through the wringer and back. In 2016, Sam suffered a terrible BMX accident during a normal run at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista. That same day, doctors deemed him permanen...
Heimana Reynolds, Skateboarding
May 03, 2021 14:00 - 29 minutes - 27 MBKicking off our first episode is a young man whose the pride of Hawaii, embodying the spirit of aloha. Heimana Reynolds was born to be on a board. His deep roots to the Hawaiian culture matched with his love of skateboarding is a winning combination. He’s only 23-years-old, but he already has Shaun White and Tony Hawk on speed dial. Heimana is so far ahead of the competition, he’s almost a shoe-in to get to Tokyo. We caught up with Heimana on a day he received his Team USA swag at ...
Introducing Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo
April 13, 2021 19:48 - 57 seconds - 895 KBFrom NBC 7 San Diego, "Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo" brings you inside the mind of several San Diego elite athletes competing for one thing: a medal on the world stage. NBC 7 Anchor Steven Luke sits down with Olympic stars of swimming, water polo, rock climbing, skateboarding, and other sports about training regimens and diets, as well as their personal lives and how they've been coping with the delay of the Covid-19 pandemic. "Olympic Dreams: San Diego to Tokyo" launches on...