Nike Advertises Limb Difference Awareness

The new Nike advertisementis incredible. A segment of the video includes Shaquem Griffin, the NFL linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The dialogue for his piece reads, “If you have only one hand, don’t just watch football. Play— at the highest level” as it pictures highlights of Shaquem working hard for his dreams. His “I Am Shaquem Griffin” video for the NFL was very powerful, but didn’t reach the exposure this Nike advertisement did.

Words cannot describe how much I appreciate this segment. It establishes a face for the limb different community of today’s world. It’s incredibly important that there be mainstream representation in the media of someone overcoming the obstacle of a physical challenge. This sets the tone for all limb different children or even all physically different people that life is really “10% what you are given and 90% what you do with it.” These kids have undermined themselves for so long, and it’s time they realize just how big of a force they can be!

I cannot thank Nike enough for choosing an athlete with a limb difference to appear in their commercial. It’s gotten the world to talk about limb differences a little more comfortably: Shaquem is changing the way our community is viewed. He is a role model for so many of us! “The only limitations we face are the ones we set on ourselves!”