Nike Ad: A Dream Deferred

I can't watch this ad without tearing up a little. It's one of my favorite Nike track ads.

Sanya Richards, the athlete in the ad, holds the fastest 400m time in the world, and the record for the most sub 50 second 400 races.

This ad was made in 2007 after her most challenging season. That year, she was diagnosed with Bechet's Syndrome. She missed the first six races of the 2007 season, and did not qualify for the US National Team in the 400 - placing fourth in that race. A day later, she had to put all of this behind her mentally to compete in the 200m, her last shot at qualifying for the team. She ran an incredible race, and qualified.

The ad, produced by Nike, features Langston Hughes's poem, "A Dream Deferred," narrated by Danny Glover.

For more on Richards, you can visit her website.