Paralympian swimmers leave Colorado Springs and head to Tokyo

On Saturday morning, 14 Paralympic swimmers are leaving Colorado Springs and heading to Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, which begin on August 24.

IT'S A BIG NIGHT AT THE U-SOLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC TRAININGCENTER.MORE THAN A DOZEN PARALYICMPSWIMMERS ARE PACKING THEIR BAGSAND GETTING READY FOR A LONGTRIP TO TOKYO.THE GAMES START ON AUGUST TWTYENFOURTH.COLETTE BORDELON HAD THE CHANCETO CATCH UP WITH THESE SWIMMG INSENSATIONS BEFORE THEY HITHE TPOOL.COLETTE?THEY'VE ALL BEEN TRAINING HEREIN COLORADO SPRINGS FOR THE STLAYEAR...EACH ONE -- HOPI TNGO BRING HOMETHE HARDWARE...BUT REGARDLESS OTHF E RACES --THESE ATHLETES ARE EXCITED FORTAKEOFF TOMOOW.

RRNAT: TAKE YOUR MARK....JUMPS INTO POOL TRACK: COLLEENYOUNG HAS BEEN SWIMMING --OR FMORE YEARS, THAN SHE HN'AST.SOT: "WE'VE WAITED SO LONG, ANDNOW THAT IT'FIS NALLY HERE, IT'SLIKE OH MY GOD, I'M ACTUALLYGOING TO TOKYO." TRACK: YOUNG --HEADED TO HER THIRD PARALYMPICGAMES...SOT: "BEING A PARALYMPIAYONKNOW, WE'RE ON THE SAME LEVEL ASOLYMPIANS."TRACK: AND SHE'S HEADED THERE --WITH HER TEAMMATE, SOPHIAHERZOG.SOT: "A LITTLE STRESSED, HAVEN'TDONE MY LAUNDRY YET, NOT GOINGTO LIE."TRACK: THE TRAINING -- HARDENOUGH AS IT IS...SOT: "SWIMMING NINE TIMES AWEEK, WEIGHT ROOM THREE TIMEA SWEEK."TRACK: PLUS -- THEY'VE HAD TO BESUPER CAREFU--L ANY POSITIVECOVID-19 TESTS -- AND THEY WON'THIT THE POOL.SOT: "THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN HARDIN THE SENSE OF IT'S TOUGHENEDME UP MENTALLY, THERE WAS A LOTOF SACRIFICES I HAD TO GIVTOEMAKE SURE I WAS IN A SAFEENVIRONMENT THIS PAST ARYETRACK: BUT A CHALLENGE -IS-SOMETHING THESE SWIMMERS, NEVERTURN DOWN.SOT: "IF I CAN PERFORM ON E THWORLD STAGE AND KIND OF ABELEADER AND A ROLE MODEL FOR E THYOUNGER GENERATION OF PEOPLEWITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS COMINGUP, I THINK IT'S JUST SUCH AHUGE HONOR." TRACK: AS THEY WAVEGOODBYE TO THE STATES...NAT: SOPHIA JUMPING IN WATER ANDWAVING TRACK: AND SAY HELLO, TOTOKYO.THE MAYOR OF COLORADO SPRIS NGWILL BE AT THE AIRPORT EARLYTOMORROW MORNING TO SEND OFF THEFOURTEEN PARALYMPIS.AN..THEIR FLIGHT TAKES OFF JUSTAFTER X.SITHE FULL U-S PARALYMPIC SWIMMINGTEAM HAS OVER THIRTY MEMBERS.WE'LL BE ROOTING FOR YOU -- HEREAT HOME.AWOFY, CS, CB N5