[Speakers]
Uran Sawada
Para-athlete (long jump, 100 m). Winner of bronze medal in the universal relay at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Ryuhei Shiokawa
Drawing on his track and field experience, he serves as Ms. Sawada’s dedicated competition partner (guide runner and caller).
Aiming to build a society in which everyone has the opportunity to be active, we are supporting the Japan Para Athletics Championships and hold in-house lectures as part of our activities to promote a more in-depth understanding of parasports.
In July 2022, we invited para-athlete Uran Sawada and her competition partner Ryuhei Shiokawa to give an in-house lecture. They talked about their past, the rules of para-athletics, and their experience at the Tokyo Paralympics, where they won a bronze medal, together with photos and quizzes.
Although Sawada had always loved sports since childhood, she briefly gave up when illness caused her to develop vision problems. Then, when she was in high school, she discovered para-sports and started out as a para-track athlete, hoping once again to fulfill her dreams. Since then, she has continued to take on all kinds of challenges.
■ Sawada (athlete):
“I became visually impaired when I was in junior high school, and I despaired of being able to live a normal life, let alone play sports. But I realized that with just a little help, I could enjoy sports so much more. With a bond, I can run without worry; with a voice, I can jump without worry. It’s with the support of Mr. Shiokawa and many others that I’ve been able to come this far.”
Shiokawa, who serves as Sawada’s personal guide runner and caller (a guide who shouts and claps to signal to the athletes), attended a prestigious track and field university. After graduation, he enrolled in a vocational school to become a sports trainer. There, he discovered the job of a guide runner. His decision to become one came after realizing that both able-bodied athletes and those with disabilities are aiming for the same thing.
■ Shiokawa (guide runner and caller)
If a guide runner makes a false start or finishes before the athlete, the athlete will be disqualified. Athletics is essentially an individual sport, but we always have to compete as a team. We race together amid the tension.”
Every time Sawada participated in a world competition, she was keenly aware of the world class standards and felt that she wanted to be on the same level as the other athletes. There was a period when she made slow progress due to injuries, but in 2017, she met Shiokawa, and together they started to aim for medals.
In the 2018 Asian Para Games, they won a gold medal in the 100 m and a silver medal in the universal relay. Then, in the Tokyo Paralympics held in 2021, they won a bronze medal in the universal relay.
■ Sawada (athlete):
I had been aiming for gold in the long jump, so it was frustrating. At the Paris Paralympics in 2024, I want to win a gold medal and repay all those who have helped me.”
The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session, during which there was a lively exchange of opinions.
When asked how she controls herself at the Paralympic Games, Sawada replied, “Of course I get nervous, but I deliberately try to smile.” The audience nodded their heads in agreement as she answered, “Actions change thoughts, so I try to control myself by smiling and keeping my mind positive.”
In response to a question about the current status of guide runners in Japan, Shiokawa said, “Every day, it’s a process of trial and error, so I’m fumbling around for answers while looking at old videos.” Sawada remarked, “Some countries have an environment for developing experts, so I hope we can increase the number of such people in Japan as well.”
There was also an anecdote shared by one of our employees who participated in the Tokyo Paralympics as a volunteer and was involved in the universal relay where Sawada and Shiokawa won the bronze medal.
■ Mizuho Leasing employee
Yusuke Kataoka, Deputy Director, Human Resources Department (as of September 2022)
“At the Tokyo Paralympics, I took part as a referee, and I was in charge of video review for the universal relay in which the two of you competed. Through athletics involving people from all over the world, we had an intensive opportunity to embrace and acknowledge disability as a normal part of life, just like differences in nationality and language.”
An hour of all kinds of lessons and discoveries, the lecture was held in a friendly atmosphere from start to finish. We will keep working tirelessly to help build a diverse society where all people can play an active role.
