It’s not every day that a young girl from the High Desert stars in a Nike commercial alongside world-famous athletes. But MiKenzie Adams isn’t your average 10-year-old.
Nike’s ad, which dropped July 30 on YouTube, features the likes of LeBron James, Serena Williams and Cristiano Ronaldo, among other professional sports stars.
It also puts on full display the gymnastic prowess of Mikenzie, a Yermo resident who wears a prosthesis where her right leg used to be.
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Doctors amputated Mikenzie’s leg about a year into her life. She was born with a rare disease that results in the partial or total absence of the tibia — the inner bone between the knee and ankle — according to Mary Sioss, her grandmother.
Nike’s 90-second commercial shows Mikenzie performing a round-off tumbling flip on a beach. Her strawberry blonde ponytail whips through the air as her clip transitions seamlessly to a separate one of Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles amid a gravity-defying routine inside a large sports venue.
"I liked being in the Nike video, and I hope that it inspires a lot of people," Mikenzie said. "But I’m an athlete and I don’t want to be an actress. I’d rather be cheering with my friends and hanging out with my family at home."
Narrated by U.S. soccer star and two-time World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe, the commercial includes 36 split-screen segments that depict everyday and elite athletes coming together as they perform.
The ad addresses both COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement. In one scene, workers disinfect the seats of empty stadiums. In another, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels on the sidelines during a San Francisco 49ers game. Later, a soccer team does the same while donning BLM T-shirts.
"We know things won’t always go our way," Rapinoe says as the ad moves through the current events. "But whatever it is, we’ll find a way. And when things aren’t fair, we’ll come together for change."
Titled "You Can’t Stop Us," the commercial is part of Nike’s campaign of the same name that debuted alongside the NBA’s July 30 return after the 2019-20 season was halted in March by the coronavirus.
Sioss, a retired teacher who served 26 years with the Apple Valley Unified School District, said the video’s title "fits Mikenzie so well."
As a preschooler, a few years after her leg was removed, Mikenzie learned to water ski. She was also an avid dancer. Over the years, her interests have only grown.
"Mikenzie has been so busy dancing, singing, jumping, climbing, cheering, water-skiing and tumbling that she’s worn out many prosthetic legs over the years," Sioss said.
A member of High Desert Cheer-Spirit Athletics in Hesperia, Mikenzie has been described as an inspirational ball of energy who refuses to let her prosthetic leg limit or define her.
She has also participated in national events sponsored by Hanger Inc., a company that provides prosthetics and other services to to patients in need of them.
On Feb. 6, "before all the world changed," as Sioss put it, an agency reached out to her with a role for Mikenzie in an upcoming video for "a major sports company out of the Pacific Northwest" (Nike is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon).
Agency officials told Sioss they discovered her granddaughter in a video on the "Challenged Athletes" Facebook page.
Sioss said the agency did not reveal the premise or message of the video. She guessed it might be a Nike project for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan which, at the time, were scheduled for July. They were later postponed until 2021.
Mikenzie was at a Hollywood studio a day later for a photo shoot. She was fitted with a variety of outfits to determine what she would wear during filming.
"It took most of the afternoon, and there were lots of other athletes and commercial models there, too," Sioss said. "It was quite the undertaking."
Three days later, a film crew gathered at Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles County to set up the outdoor studio and groom the sand where Mikenzie would perform.
"MiKenzie nailed her scene on the second take. She was excited about the action part of the video, but she wasn’t too keen on the makeup, hair and preparation for the film shoot," Sioss said. "It’s like she said, she’d rather be an athlete than an actress."
Sioss said she turned down the agency’s offer of payment for her granddaughter’s role.
"MiKenzie is an athlete who plans on competing with the 2021 U.S. ParaCheer National Team," Sioss said. "We didn’t want to jeopardize her involvement in any sporting event by taking a dime from Nike."
Mikenzie said she hopes to one day compete in the Paralympic Games. She also wants to become a veterinarian.
"I have a special connection with animals and I want to care for them," Mikenzie said. "I also have a heart for animals who have been abandoned."
Hannity Lanier, also 10, has supported Mikenzie on her journey. The two are best friends, neighbors and teammates at Spirit Athletics, although Hannity said Mikenzie is "more like a sister."
As of Saturday, Nike’s ad had garnered more than 47 million views on YouTube, drawing praise from some who called it an inspirational and moving piece that highlights the determination of athletes to push beyond obstacles.
It has its share of critics, too. Some commenters are calling for a boycott of Nike due to its support of Kaepernick and BLM.
Sioss said she plans to "stay clear" of any discussion involving those aspects of the ad.
"Right now, Mikenzie will continue to work hard to accomplish her goals while enjoying her time with friends and family," Sioss said. "She’ll also inspire through what she does best."
Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227, or by email at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.
The Link LonkAugust 09, 2020 at 01:06PM
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‘You can’t stop’ her: Yermo’s Mikenzie Adams featured in new Nike commercial - VVdailypress.com
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