narrator: the 2022 winter olympic games in beijing is finally here. and with it, come new beginnings. [music playing] the snow is fresh, the slate is clean, the stages are set, and the excitement is building-- all in preparation for our athletes to shine. the snow is nice. narrator: athletes inspire countless people with their sheer skill and impeccable craft. every single person has a story and has a perspective that they can bring to the world. narrator: but their strength isn't limited to their sport, as they carry unmatched perseverance, dedication, and fortitude through some

of life's greatest challenges. toshawa andres: they only see the glamour on tv. i was going to do whatever i needed to take care of him. and if that meant giving up bobsled, that's what was going to happen. narrator: from career-threatening injuries-- i don't know if i'm going to be able to do this anymore. narrator: --to overcoming the impossible. my legs are messed up. my-- i'm missing organs. i'm missing muscles. narrator: discover the courage it takes to beat the odds and become one of america's greatest athletes. [theme music] [music - roy orbison, "beautiful dreamer"] beautiful dreamer, wake unto me, starlight and dewdrops awaiting for thee. [record scratching] [music playing]

what goes up must come down, now humble up. i'm bawling my knuckles up to tell them what the is up. the snow is nice. i'm taylor gold, and i'm a half-pipe snowboarder. for me, creativity and snowboarding go hand in hand. and as a kid, that was the thing that initially drew me to it. i remember when the 2002 olympics happened, i was eight years old watching ross powers do a method first hit, 20 feet out-- biggest hit that's ever been done at that time. commentator: an unbelievable first run. i remember just being super inspired to try it. narrator: after 19 years of hard-core training and chasing snow around the world, taylor has become the highest-ranked american male half-pipe snowboarder. on this chilly morning, he finds himself on copper mountain in colorado, practicing on one of the first half-pipes to open in north america. i love the way that you ride. well, thank you. it's refreshing. for me personally, i love doing the slower tricks where you can really enjoy the feeling of being in the air. honestly, those big tricks-- those doubles

and stuff-- kind of feel like throw your body and hang on for dear life. and then, you land again. and it just doesn't have that same appeal as doing like-- one of my favorite tricks, the mctwist, where you throw it in a different way than you throw any other trick. and then, when you kind of hit the peak of the air, you can see the landing. but you're also flipping at the same time. and it reminds me of why i got into snowboarding. what's up, buddy? good to see you. i kind of feel a duty to the younger kids to have those elements in my run, hopefully, so they're inspired to try some of the same stuff. taylor is an olympian. i also want to be an olympian. i ride with him a lot when he's on the hill. he really is an inspiration to me. i've known taylor for a few years-- been watching him forever. he's got that different way of doing it that's exciting to see. his style looks amazing. i hope someday i can get on the us team and compete against him. taylor gold: you have to be pretty dedicated to be

able to compete at the highest level, and there's so much travel involved. yeah, that's not part of a diet plan, i don't think. the flip side to that is, it's really rewarding. the big reward is, obviously, landing all these tricks in a run together. it's just the coolest feeling. commentator: this is the run that he wanted. and he puts it down. narrator: taylor is no stranger to success, coming out on top in countless championships around the country. one of his most notable successes is qualifying for the sochi olympics at just 21 years old. the feeling is weird. like you would think that it would just be like this crazy elation, but it's almost more of a relief than anything else. narrator: but the ride hasn't always been smooth for taylor. in 2015, a painful injury put his future in jeopardy. we went to silverton, colorado to film in the back-country. i was doing a toe-side turn, and my knee clipped a rock under the snow. and it just like sent me sprawling sideways. and i kind of like pulled up my pant leg

and realized that i broke my kneecap. i went into the doctor, and he was like, this is a pretty serious injury-- like, you're going to be out for six months at least. it end up taking me about three years to get back. i honestly didn't know if i was even going to be able to get there-- like after two years in, and i've been like working my ass off rehabbing the whole time, i was like, i don't know if i'm going to be able to do this anymore. to me, snowboarding is my life. and all this time, all i wanted to do was ride pain-free. i mean, i have this list of tricks in my phone that i came up with over those three years just daydreaming about snowboarding. and when i finally did get healthy, it gave me a whole new appreciation for being able to ride at the highest level. and i'm so happy to be back. commentator: taylor gold, we've been waiting to see a run like that from him for the past three years. narrator: and with this nonstop dedication, taylor has now qualified for the 2022 beijing olympics. dew tour her was a great event for me this year.

being able to lock up my olympic spot with that event was huge. and more importantly, i was able to land this combination of tricks that i've been working on for two years, which is the double michael chuck 1080-- which is a trick that i was the first to do into a switch mctwist. so that was just a really fun experience. honestly, in beijing, my hope is just that we can really showcase half-pipe riding in a way that makes it look really fun and interesting to an audience that maybe hasn't seen it before. [theme jingle] everyone needs health insurance. covered california is making sure more people can get it. new federal funding of $3 billion

is available to help more californians get covered. julie and bob are paying $700 less every month. dee now gets comprehensive coverage with no monthly premium. and the novarros are paying under $100 per month. check coveredca.com to see your new lower price. covered california. this way to health insurance. enrollment ends january 31st.

covered california. thiwe learn about covid-19,e. the more questions we have. the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today. oksana masters: once i start something, i can't quit. my favorite quote is by coco chanel, and, "it's to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."

and that was my high school quote in my yearbook. i clenched onto it so hard because that was the moment i realized, my differences are the reason why i am an athlete. sports was that physical thing that was really able to show me what my body could do still. all right, yeah, you can go left three. i would describe oksana as very fierce. she is an unbelievable athlete. she's really detail-oriented, an incredibly hard worker. she will not give up. narrator: oksana masters is an athletic anomaly. commentator: oksana masters of the united states is about to win the gold medal in the road race. i've competed in the paralympic games in rowing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, and cycling. narrator: appearing in five paralympic games playing four different sports, she is one of the most decorated paralympians with four gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.

i do not see myself going on to do multiple different sports. i had no idea that even existed for me. and her journey isn't over. now competing at the 2022 paralympic games, oksana hopes to bring home gold in the challenging sport of biathlon. biathlon is you ski a lap, you stop, approach the range, and you hit five shots. you hit all your targets. you ski your other lap. narrator: oksana's transition from rowing to biathlon

was no easy feat, one that wouldn't be possible without a coach like eileen carey. where are you planning on skiing? i don't know. like, i haven't been here since, like, they were not able to groom anywhere. so i don't know what's really groomed. oksana masters: i would not be a 10-time paralympic medallist if it wasn't for eileen. - thank you. - yep. she applies things from other sports. and so i think, without a doubt, having multiple sports is a benefit. it's pretty special when you find a coach that really knows you and knows you without needing to talk to you to know what's going on. and that's kind of like our relationship. narrator: eileen was instrumental in oksana's transition. but adapting to the new environment didn't come without its pitfalls. i recognized her talent quickly. and also, she had to work at it. the first five minutes we went out on snow, she skied up to the top. and skiing, you can't stop. there's no just brakes. you can't just, like, snowplow. before i gave her any instruction on how to go down

the hill, she just took off. of course, i just go off the course because tasmanian devil just like rolls off and does it in the most aggressive way possible. it was just kind of an esker of snow with jagged rocks. and so i remember asking eileen, like, it was fun. and then, there's a downhill. i'm like, well, how do i stop? and she launched herself off into this rock pile. she was not very happy about that, and got up, and immediately did it again. it was very clear that she had the mentality and that she was going to make it happen no matter what. she could have told me how to stop. [laughter] narrator: oksana's ambitious nature stems from a lifetime of hardships. born in ukraine, she experienced radiation poisoning linked to the tragic events of chernobyl in 1986, resulting in the amputation of both legs at a young age. when my mom adopted me, i was 7 and 1/2. i was basically dying. she literally saved my life. and that's why when i say, she's my hero, she is my hero. oh, my gosh, i want to say "hi" to my family.

hi, mom. i just love you so much. it doesn't mean that it's awful. there are good things that can come out of things too. and instead of just focusing on not just seeing like-- focusing on more of like what good can come from that too. i'm 32 years old right now. and it took all of 32 years to get comfortable with it. i don't think a lot of people realize that i can't ski unless i'm taped to-- like the grips are taped to me. she doesn't have the muscle that allows her to like grip her poles. i have five fingers. i don't have a thumb. i have this joint and this joint. but i don't have that third joint. and so we go through a taping process that allows her to be able to control the poles better. so when i ski, i'm not actually gripping my poles. it's open hands, and i'm using more of my lat and my tricep. higher? just one more. i think every single paralympic coach is incredible because they are coaching on a whole other level of things. it's ultimately an exercise in figuring out

how each individual athlete operates best. we are here to-- to help them and to pull together a lot of different puzzle pieces. narrator: and her hard work will pay off at this year's games when she finally completes the initial goal that sparked the flame. beijing in 2008 summer games is the one i missed. and so i feel like it's coming full circle from the start of my paralympic career and my kind of like redemption of to try and make it back to beijing better than i would have if i was in 2008. we want people to know that they can be athletes. and it doesn't matter if they walk with crutches, or use a wheelchair, or have an amputation. every single person has a story and has a perspective that they can bring to the world. you should be able to see yourself in all the fields-- whether you are a paralympic athlete, whether you are a doctor. you should be able to sit at a table, and your voice should be heard-- and that ripple effect being made for the generations behind you.

[theme jingle]

(singing) la la la hi. nico was born on february 22, 2020, which happened to be the second day of women's bobsled world championships of that year, just in time to try and find out who won. so i think it goes to show you how much of a bobsled baby he really is. where's nico? there is. elana meyers taylor: we found out he may have down syndrome while we were in the hospital. he spent about eight days in the nicu. at that time, too, we were so wrapped up with just trying to get him out of the nicu and just trying to get him healthy that the down syndrome diagnosis didn't really faze us. it wasn't till later that we really started to process what that meant. up up up up up up up hi, nico, good job. but the moment he was born, he became my sole focus.

and you know, i was going to do whatever i needed to take care of him. and if that meant giving up bobsled, that's what was going to happen. oh, you're hugging onto daddy's arm? the crazy thing is, it was never a question in nick's mind on whether or not we can make this happen-- like he is one of the most positive optimistic people i've ever met. and he always knew that if i wanted to, like, we'd make this work. - [inaudible] commentator: she's still the best starter in the world. commentator 2: elana meyers taylor for team usa goes to the top. commentator 3: right now, she's an olympic athlete. in 10 minutes' time, she'll be back to be mama. commentator 4: meyers taylor. oh, my gosh, figuring out the logistics of bringing a baby on world cup was chaos. where's your shoe go? play some music on the way. all right, you ready? the meyers taylor traveling circus includes multiple types of strollers, toys, all kinds of stuff-- even had a sled at some point. even on the road, you know, he's got therapies he needs to go to, whether it's for his hearing or for the down syndrome and stuff like that. so it includes everything we have to travel with,

but also everything we do on a daily basis to make sure he's taken care of-- along with bobsled. 1, 2, 3, 4-- you're better. all you gotta do. ok, coach nico. [theme jingle]

ice skating to me is freedom. it's really nice to go out there, and just feel the music, and connect. it's just an escape for me from reality. it's always lit up my life. the ups, and downs, and the sacrifices that have been made to get her to this point-- you know, a lot of people don't know the whole story. they only see the glamour on tv, but there's so much more behind the scene that makes these athletes who they are.

hi, my name is starr andrews, and i am a figure skater on team usa. i started skating when i was 3 and 1/2 years old. i am 20 now-- so basically, my whole life. starr as a child was very curious. this was a kid that wasn't afraid of anything. she would jump off of stuff. oh, my god, she always had me on the edge. [laughter] i actually started as an adult skater and did not want her to skate. to be in ice skating, you have to be crazy, constantly seeking for perfection. but the moment she took the ice for the first time, she was a natural. announcer: please welcome starr andrews. toshawa andres: she was willing to try anything. she was skating in between other parents, and she just got on the ice and started running, fearless. narrator: and it's that same fearlessness that has led starr, like her namesake, to rise. with a hopes of one day making it to the winter olympics,

she pushes forward, determined, regardless of the sacrifices. i think we've both taught each other how not to give up on something because i have my own challenges. and i'm very proud of her. i train six days a week. and sometimes, it's really hard because you see people your age going to parties and going to regular school. and it takes sacrifice to get to this level. my first time ever competing senior at nationals wasn't really sick for my long program. i could barely make it around the rink. it was a really tough moment for me. i really don't remember skating. i just remember finishing and being so, so happy getting my highest score that year so-- especially in competition, when you finish that program, when you hit your ending position, and the crowd is just cheering for you, it's the best feeling. when i see someone who did an under and a down on a triple-triple. i've been working with starr for the last decade. it's been a long time. it's been 10 years. as a competitor, i would say starr definitely

skates with her heart. she kind of melts into the song. she becomes the music. starr andrews: i love seeing when people write comments of, oh, i can really see how much she loves the sport because it's true. it's the first thing that i fell in love with. she's a fun, loving girl-- like, she frequently, even when she's on the ice, she'll love telling me stories about her pets when we're getting going in the morning. she loves her friends. she loves music. i think she brings a lot of that love of life and that love for life onto the ice with her every day, which is why she's such a joy to work with. the triple toe can go on like a double axle. narrator: starr's musical talents and boldness have allowed her to push the boundaries within the sport. along with occasionally skating to her own vocal covers, starr often performs to out-of-the-box song choices that speak to her. at nine years old, starr gained internet fame by skating to "whip my hair" by willow smith. my mom was like, let me put this on youtube just because it's just like so cute and so cool. and it ends up going viral.

i didn't even know what that meant at the time. i was just like, oh, cool. but now the video's at 56 million views, which still sounds crazy coming out of my mouth. it's really cool. my "black like me" program was during the time when the black lives matter movement was happening. and the first time that my coach played it, i knew that i had to skate to it. it's just-- i relate it to it so much. when i saw michelle obama tweet about it, i thought my mom was playing a trick on me because i was like, this can't be real. i'm like, oh, my gosh, it's michelle obama, michelle obama. narrator: but starr's hope to expand the sport by simply being herself doesn't stop at song choices. it's been over 20 years since a black woman has made the us olympic figure skating team. and even though starr won't be competing in this year's winter olympics, she is still one to watch. the world of figure skating can expect to see a whole lot more coming from andrews, as this rising star has so much left to do. whenever i grew up watching this sport,

i never really saw many people of color. i feel like i could just open up so many doors to people of color and bipoc people. it's like, ok, i'm in this position to where i can let people know that this sport is so beautiful and to let them know that the sport is for everybody. it's not just for one certain person. narrator: the spirit of team usa will be on full display this year as they head into the 2022 winter olympic and paralympic games. cheer on our athletes starting february 4 as they go for gold. and as always, america will be watching and rooting. from one moment to the next, our kids become the most important part of our lives. and even though the years pass, that never changes. we never stop worrying about them. that's why it's important to have health insurance. with covered california, we got a plan we could afford. it includes free preventive care, like cholesterol and blood-pressure checkups.

because even though they grow up, they'll always be your baby. covered california. this way to health insurance. enrollment ends january 31st. go to coveredca.com. thiwe learn about covid-19,e. the more questions we have.

the biggest question now, what's next? what will covid bring in six months, a year? if you're feeling anxious about the future, you're not alone. calhope offers free covid-19 emotional support. call 833-317-4673, or live chat at calhope.org today. read my eyes. they tell my story. and the story of voluminous original, america's number one mascara ...creamy formula for 5x the volume. voluminous original mascara by l'oréal. my eyes are saying you're worth it. my eyes are saying you're worth it. bro, one more time. worth of drip but i'm cut from a different cloth. tell my competition lay low. jif peanut butter. that flow crazy. it's that jif'ing good, ludacris changed his flow for it. my parents can always check my glucose levels just by looking at their cell phones.

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