Ariel Torres.Photo: Got Milk?
Torres, now 23, was just 6 years old — and recent immigrant to the U.S. from Cuba — when he first got started in the martial arts at the suggestion of his pediatrician. “The doctor said to my mom, ‘Hey, Ariel is hyperactive. I recommend you put him in a sport that teaches him discipline, how to hold his energy. Because there’s a lot of energy,’ " recounts Torres, who is a member ofGot Milk?‘sTeam Milk, to PEOPLE.
Seventeen years later, Torres — a two-time USA Karate national champion — is just a few months away from potentially competing at the Summer Olympics.
“I just want to make my community, my family, everyone that’s done something or even said something positive to me, proud,” says Torres.
That community has continually made sacrifices to help Torres reach for more, since the very beginning. His family couldn’t afford to own a car when he first got started in karate, so would walk him 15 minutes to and from their local Florida dojo, where he trained. Torres parents would supplement their income with donations to help pay for further travel to his out-of-state championships.
Ariel Torres.Got Milk?
“I had a bucket and I’d be like just walking around and I’ll do like a kata, a performance of some forms, predetermined movements,” says the athlete. “And then I just put my jar out. … People would give me a dollar, $2, $5, some cents, $10, $20. People really contributed in my community.”
The kindness, he notes, is “something that I hold close to my heart.” And he learned the sacrifices necessary when following your dreams, as well as how far his parents would go to support him in reaching his goals. They only wanted him to do his best, Torres tells PEOPLE.
“Karate has been and is my life,” he says now, adding that through it he is “able to experience new things, new people, new cultures, new everything.”
That “new everything” also includes starring in a Got Milk? ad alongside other Team Milk athletes, which include skateboard Maurio McCoy and softball player Cat Osterman. All Team Milk members are competing in sports debuting at the Tokyo Olympics, and will help promote the natural nutrients that come from the dairy beverage. For Torres, milk is the best fuel for his training and performance.
“I saw these incredible people growing up as a kid, so I never thought I wouldn’t be a part of this incredible campaign,” Torres tells PEOPLE of the iconic milk ads of the past. “Being a part of it is life-changing. I feel so proud to be a part of this team.”
Team Milk.Got Milk?
“I’m just thankful that they took a chance on me,” he adds.
To learn more about all the Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, visitTeamUSA.org. Watch the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics this summer on NBC.
source: people.com
