During the 2021 Super Bowl, many Americans will be introduced to Paralympic swimmer Jessica Long for the first time.
Long, a 13-time Paralympic gold medalist, appears in a new Toyota commercial that will air during the Super Bowl. The ad tells the story of Long’s adoption from an orphanage in Siberia and how she developed into one of the most successful American swimmers of all-time.
Watch Jessica Long’s 2021 Super Bowl commercial:
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Because the ad clocks in at one minute - which is long for a Super Bowl commercial, but short for a life story - here are a few more details about Long’s decorated swimming career:
- Long made her Paralympic debut at the 2004 Athens Games, where she was just 12 years old.
- In 2007, she became the first Paralympian to receive the AAU Sullivan Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top amateur athlete.
- Just a few weeks after Michael Phelps claimed eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Long would record her own impressive medal haul at Beijing’s water cube. The then-16-year-old claimed six medals (four gold) at the 2008 Paralympic Games.
- At the 2012 London Paralympics, she claimed eight medals (including five gold).
- At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Long became the second-most decorated Paralympian in U.S. history. She ultimately left Rio with 23 career medals (including 13 gold).
- In addition to her Paralympic medals, Long has also claimed 52 world championship medals during her career.
- Looking ahead, Long is expected to make her fifth Paralympic appearance this summer in Tokyo.
Jessica Long was also the subject of Long Way Home, a short documentary film. The film, which originally aired in 2014, is now available on Peacock.