Zeke Sanchez has the sort of body shape that one would stereotypically associate with cannonballs rather than smooth swan dives.
But this 14-year-old teen from Gilbert, Arizona is making waves with his natural abilities in the pool.
We’re used to seeing people with a specific body type when it comes to sports. Football players have broad backs, mountains of muscles, and solid legs. Sprinters are lean and fast like cheetahs. And swimmers tend to be more broad-shouldered with defined lats.
Yet Zeke defies all the old athletic “standards” and is making up his own rulebook.
In a viral TikTok that’s been liked by more than 3 million fans, Zeke can be seen bouncing up and down at the very end of a diving board. He then arches his back, lifts his arms up into the air, and jumps for the gold! After a few tucks and twists, the Olympic-worthy dive ends with a tiny splash.
This talented young man is proof that bigger-bodied people can perform (and even outperform!) with the best of them.
Unfortunately, for every good thing that happens in the world, there’s always an Internet troll there to ruin it.
The naysayers look at his rounder physique and immediately discount his abilities as an athlete, which is too bad.
Thankfully Zeke can see the positive side and uses those comments to motivate him to do better. “I can appreciate the comments,” he said. “Because [they] give me inspiration to keep working harder, ” he told ABC15 Arizona.
Freddie Sanchez, Zeke’s dad, is super proud of his son for breaking stereotypes.
“People see these really small men or women doing these really great things. I don’t think they expect to see someone a larger size doing those things. But Zeke has a lot of heart.”
He continued to praise the talented diver by adding, “The things he does are not easy, it takes a lot of effort…Zeke is very dedicated.”
We need more sports heroes like him for kids of all shapes and sizes to look up to.
That’s probably why so many people are inspired by watching his videos.
“They’ve never really seen a kid like my size be able 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, you can do it.”
Because his videos went viral and the right people took notice, Zeke was able to give his fans some exciting news on Instagram.
“BEYOND BLESSED TO ANNOUNCE I HAVE QUALIFIED TO USA DIVING JUNIOR NATIONALS ON THE 3 METER BOARD (“high dive”)! I could not do this without my family and all of my supporters! Thank you all for following along my journey!”
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Unfortunately, his most recent update indicated that he’d have to postpone the Junior Nationals until 2023 as he broke a bone in his foot and is currently undergoing rehab.
His spirits are high though, and with the support of his family and friends, he knows he can absolutely do this!
@zeke__sanchez Very blessed for every opportunity this year! Thank you guys for all of your continuous support! 🦴#flopera #divertente #diver #springboarddiving #zekesanchez #peakmaleperformance #olympics #espnathlete #fyp ♬ Einaudi: Experience – Ludovico Einaudi & Daniel Hope & I Virtuosi Italiani
Watch the video below to find out more about Zeke’s incredible story.
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