TO YOU. THE WOMEN OF TEAM, USA
WATER POLO ARE CELEBRATING
WINNING GOLD FOR THE 3RD
OLYMPICS IN A ROW,
GETTING OUT SPAIN, 14 TO 5 IN
TOKYO OVER THE WEEKEND AT ONE
END OF THAT FULL TEAM USA STAR
GOALKEEPER BLOCKED
AND OUT.
>> STANDING 11 OF 15 SHOTS
REPEATEDLY LUNGING OUT OF THE
WATER SHE JOINS
US NOW, ASHLEY JOHNSON WELCOME
TO THE SHOW OLYMPIC GOLD
MEDALIST AND GOALKEEPER FOR THE
U.S. WOMEN'S WATER POLO TEAM
ACTUALLY GOT TO KNOW HOW DOES
IT FEEL TO BRING HOME THE GOLD.
>> SO GOOD, I MEAN THERE'S BEEN
SO MANY WERE YEARS OF
WORK AND EFFORT THAT WENT INTO
THIS AND A LOT OF HARD TIMES A
LOT OF GOOD TIME SO IT FEELS
GOOD TO BE BACK HOME IN I HAVE
GOTTEN OUR GOAL.
>> YOU ALSO WON GOLD IN RIO IN
2016 WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT
THE ENVIRONMENT WAS LIKE THE
ATMOSPHERE HEADING INTO THE
TOKYO GAMES WAS THERE ANY SORT
OF PRESSURE TO WIN AGAIN.
>> I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF TO
WIN AGAIN THERE'S A LOT OF
EXTERNAL PRESSURE FOR SURE HAS
A LOT OF PRESSURE THAT WE PUT
ON OURSELVES, BUT.
>> AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU
KIND OF JUST HAPPENED THERE
YOUR VISION AND JUST FOCUS ON
THE
MOMENT AND I KNOW YOU HAVE
TO WIN EVERY GAME TO WIN THE
GOLD YOU HAVE TO WIN EVERY
POSSESSION SAID WHEN THE GAME
AND IT JUST MATTERS THAT YOU
STAY IN THE MOMENT REALLY KNOW
WHAT YOUR
GOALS ARE.
>> YOU'VE BEEN CALLED ONE OF
THE BEST GOALIES IN THE WORLD.
>> I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT
MEDAL
AROUND YOUR THAT ACTUALLY SAYS
THAT YOU ARE THE BEST GOALIE IN
THE WORLD RIGHT NOW WHAT'S YOUR
MINDSET HEADING INTO WORLD
STAGE RIGHT THE OLYMPICS, HOW
DID YOU PREPARE FOR THIS.
>> THIS IS ACTION INTERESTING
OLYMPICS TO PREPARE FOR
ESPECIALLY FOR OUR TEAM.
WE HAD
TO REALLY.
>> FOCUS ON OUR GOAL BECAUSE
THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY A
LOT A LOT OF HYPE FOR SURE
TITLES LIKE THE BEST
GOALKEEPER ARE THE BEST SHOOTER
ARE WHATEVER THE MVP IT IT'S A
REFLECTION OF OUR TEAM
ENVIRONMENT, OUR TEAM
ENVIRONMENT IS REALLY REALLY
REALLY DEEP. WE HAVE A LOT OF
WE HAVE A GREAT CULTURE AND A
LOT OF TALENT A LOT OF GREAT
PLAYERS. A LOT OF GREAT WOMEN
AND.
ANY ACCOLADES THAT WE RECEIVED
REFLECTION OF THAT TEAM
ENVIRONMENT AND THAT STRONG
SUPPORT IT TEAM CULTURE SO
GOING INTO THESE GAMES. WE'RE
PREPARED WE'RE READY FOR EVERY
OPPONENT TO BRING THEIR BEST
GAME AND THEY SHOULD THEY
REALLY DID AND WE'RE READY TO
BRING OURS.
>> ABSOLUTELY AND WE SAW THAT
PLAY OUT
AS WELL. LOOK YOU ARE THE FIRST
BLACK AMERICAN WOMAN TO MAKE A
U.S. OLYMPIC WATER
POLO TEAM. WHAT DO YOU HOPE
THAT GENERATIONS TO COME WILL
SEE FROM YOUR CHANGE
MAKING PERFORMANCE BEING
PRESENT AND TAKING HOME GOLD AT
THE END OF THE DAY WHAT YOU
HOPE THAT FUTURE ATHLETES WILL
TAKE AWAY FROM THIS AND PERHAPS
INSPIRE THEM TO BLAZE THEIR OWN
TRAIL OR ALSO ACHIEVE GOLD LIKE
YEAH.
>> I HOPE THAT FUTURE ATHLETES,
ESPECIALLY ATHLETES OF COLOR,
ESPECIALLY A FEMALE ATHLETE SEE
THAT THERE'S SOMETHING FOR
EVERYONE IN SPORT,
THERE IS SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY
HERE THERE'S SO MUCH
OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED EVEN IF
YOU'RE NOT GOING FOR
GOLD MEDAL. THERE'S SO MUCH
THAT YOU GET OUT OF BEING A
PART OF A TEAM BEING A PART OF
A HARD WORKING GROUP THAT ARE
GOING VERY LIKE SOMETHING
GREATER THAN THEMSELVES AND
YOU FIND THEM ALL IN SPORT, AND
IT'S ALL HERE FOR US AND
SPECIFICALLY TO
BLACK PEOPLE WE BELONG HERE WE
BELONG HERE THE PRODUCTS WE
CAN EXCEL AND I'M HERE WELCOME
IS WELCOMING US AND THERE'S
LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE
WELCOMING US AND IN CREATING
PATHWAYS TO THE OPPORTUNITY
THAT WE
EXPERIENCE IT FIRSTHAND AND I
HOPE THAT THEY SEE THAT
OPPORTUNITY AND ARE WILLING TO
GO
FOR 10.
>> SEX AND EXCELLENT MESSAGE
LOOK WE HAVE TO
ASK ABOUT.
>> THE THE CAMARADERIE WITHIN
THE TEAM AND HOW YOU WERE ABLE
TO COME INTO THIS THE TOKYO
GAMES SAW DELAYS HUGE
OPERATIONAL CHANGES AS WELL WE
DO KNOW MUCH OF THOSE FACTORS
PLAY INTO THE TEAM'S
PERFORMANCE AND WHERE DID THE
TEAM FIND SOURCES OF STRENGTH
TO CONTINUE TO UPLIFT EACH
OTHER ON THE ROAD TO GOLD.
>> WITHIN OUR TEAM WE ALWAYS
SAY THAT WE'RE LIKE A FAMILY
AND THAT FAMILY LIKE IT HAS A
LOT OF PARTS THAT ARE REALLY
CLOSE. IT HAS A LOT OF PARTS
THAT ARE. WE ARE STRONG AND I
THINK ONE OF OURS FRANKS
IS RECOGNIZING ACKNOWLEDGING
WEAKNESS AND BEING ABLE TO
SUPPORT EACH
OTHER IN THAT AND JUST BEING
HAVING OPEN CONVERSATIONS BEING
ABLE TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER
THROUGH HARD TIMES THROUGH THIS
PAST 18 MONTHS. HAS JUST
LIKE CASE STUDY TEAMWORK A
STUDY IN HOW TO BUILD A TEAM
HOW TO CREATE A TEAM HOW TO
FOSTER THAT SUPPORTIVE
ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE WHO
ARE DIFFERENT CAN EXCEL
TOGETHER PEOPLE COME HAVE A
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS AND COME
FROM DIFFERENT PLACES.
CAN EXCEL TOGETHER AND CAN
SUPPORT EACH OTHER AND I THINK
THAT'S BUILT INTO OUR PROGRAM I
THINK THAT'S GOING TO OUR TEAM
I THINK THAT WE EACH INDIVIDUAL
A SHARE. THE VALUE
OF LOVE AND SUPPORT THE VALUES
TEAMWORK AND EXCELLENCE AND THE
PURSUIT OF
ALL OF THAT CAME TOGETHER AND
THIS PERFORMANCE AND THE
PERFORMANCE IS OUR TEAM
GIVEN IN THE PAST AND IT WILL
CARRY FORWARD TO THE FUTURE OF
OUR PROGRAM AS
>> MEDAL-WINNING CASE STUDY
INDEED WE'VE GOT TO KNOW COULD
WE SEE YOU BACK IN THE FULL FOR
THE 2024 OLYMPICS.
>> SO I CAN'T REALLY SEE
THAT FAR INTO THE FUTURE RIGHT
NOW I IF I'VE LEARNED ANYTHING
IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF
ITS SITE NOTHING IS GUARANTEED
SO I'M GOING TO WORK TOWARDS
BEING THE PM BEST PERSON THAT I
CAN
BE AND THE ONLY THING I KNOW
FOR SURE RIGHT NOW IS THAT I
I'M GOING TO BE WITH MY FAMILY
I'M GOING TO REST AND THIS.
TAKE SOME TIME
FOR MYSELF.
>> WELL ENJOY THAT TIME TO
YOURSELF WELL EARNED ONE THE
MIDDLE FRONT AND WELL EARNED ON
ALL OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT