As part of the commitment to diversity on CBS, they created a series of PSAs for APA Heritage Month. In this PSA, actor Tim Kang from The Mentalist talks about Olympic diver Sammy Lee, who was the first Asian American to win gold for USA in the Olympics. Here’s more on Sammy Lee:

On a summer day in 1932, twelve-year-old Sammy Lee watched enviously as divers catapulted into the public swimming pool. Sammy desperately wanted to try diving himself, but the Korean American boy — like any person of color — was only allowed to use the pool one day a week.

This discrimination did not weaken Sammy’s newfound passion for diving, and soon he began a struggle between his dream of becoming an Olympic champion and his father’s wish for him to become a doctor. Over sixteen years Sammy faced numerous challenges, but he overcame them all and fulfilled both his dream and his father’s. In 1948 Dr. Sammy Lee dove into Olympic history. A matter of seconds after his final platform dive, the scores appeared and Sammy Lee became the first Asian American to win an Olympic gold medal.

Sammy Lee’s story of determination and triumph sets an extraordinary example for anyone striving to fulfill a dream. Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds will inspire all who read it.

You can learn more about Sammy Lee in the children’s book “Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds”. Get it on amazon. CBS Cares.

Actor Tim Kang from The Mentalist on Olympic diver Sammy Lee