A 14-year-old plus-size diver from Arizona is proving that “anyone can do anything” with his amazing diving skills. Redefining the diving sport not only for fit men and women.
Zeke Sanchez is demonstrating to the entire world that in athletics, size is irrelevant.
We have been under constant pressure to conform to social norms. Like how we were led to believe that there was a particular standard of beauty or ideal profession depending on gender, it appears that there is a common thought on what somebody should look like and should be.
People gradually took action to deviate from the norm. Although some individuals continue to impose their antiquated prejudices on us, we look up to those who reject them, such as the women who work as engineers, astronauts, and racing car drivers. models with a variety of racial, cultural, and physical characteristics.
Zeke recently started posting his diving videos online and it didn’t take long for them to get noticed. This is because he disproved these prejudices, and this adolescent gained notoriety.
In a now-viral TikTok, Zeke is seen standing on a diving board under the sun, throwing his arms up before arching into the air to perform a magnificent backward somersault.
The move is followed by a neat tuck and a full mid-air twist.
Zeke’s dives have garnered millions of views on TikTok alone. And it didn’t take long before news outlets like ESPN, Barstool Sports, and SportsCenter recognized his talent and shared his videos.
Zeke’s diving clips also get reposted on Instagram, where he has received plenty of praise from internet users.
“It is really phenomenal,” he told the Guardian. “Seeing the positive responses makes me really happy because I think anyone can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
Back in 2018, Zeke shared a video of his dive attempt on Instagram, which garnered over 20 Million views. It was picked up by a sports page, but they didn’t tag Zeke. The teen thought it would be cool to get noticed again, so he started posting diving videos again. And this time, his efforts paid off.
“They’ve never really seen a kid like my sizeable to do something like that before. But I think that if you really want to try and do something, if you put your mind to it, that you could do it,” he told ABC 15 Arizona.
His dad, Freddie Sanchez, is extremely proud of Zeke for breaking stereotypes in his chosen sport.
“People see these really small men or women doing these really great things,” he said. “I don’t think they expect to see someone a larger size doing those things. But Zeke has a lot of heart.”
“The things he does are not easy, it takes a lot of effort … Zeke is very dedicated,” he added. “Not just to sport, but to everything.”
But Zeke’s newfound fame also came with a downside. Critics would make negative comments directed at his body type, but they only push him to do better.
“He is a strong individual and he is able to use it as motivation to keep going,” said Anjanette Sanchez, Zeke’s mother. “I give him a lot of credit for his attitude.”
Although people can be really mean, Zeke chooses to see the positive side.
“I can appreciate the comments,” he said. “Because [they] give me the inspiration to keep working harder.”
And with his videos gaining attention worldwide, he hopes dive college coaches take notice.
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: AWM, Guardian, ABC 15 Arizona.
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