Nanami Saeki has always loved physical activity since she was a child, but never participated in sports club activities due to concerns about the strain it would put on her body. However, she made a complete turnaround and set a Japanese record in the 1m (T100) in her first year of track and field, and was selected to compete in the SAGA35 All-Athletes (National Sports Meet for the Disabled) to be held in Saga Prefecture in October 2024. We spoke to her about her daily training and her enthusiasm for the SAGA10 All-Athletes.

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Nanami Saeki Born in 2002. From Ome City, Tokyo. Affiliated with AC KITA. In 2022, she will start athletics (100m) while attending university. She will set a new Japanese record (2023 seconds) for the 100m (T35) at the 18 Kanto Para Record Meet. She will set a new tournament record (20 seconds) for the 35m (T2024) at the 6th Japan Para Athletics Championships (June 100).

There is a parasport that is right for you!

What made you start parasports?

After entering university, I attended a job hunting seminar. There, I was told to focus on something other than studying during my university life. I thought about joining a sports club at my university, but my university has a strong sports program, so I thought it would be difficult for me to keep up with the practice, since I only had experience in physical education classes at school.
So I asked the university counseling office if there was a way to start parasports, but I couldn't find anything that suited me, and six months later, a staff member found the "Tokyo Metropolitan Parasports Next Generation Athlete Discovery Program (*)". I participated in the 2022 program at the sports experience event held as part of the program, with the hope of finding a sport that suited me, and that's how I encountered parasports.
* A program implemented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Association for the Disabled, offering a place for people interested in parasports, including those aiming to compete in international competitions such as the Paralympics and Deaflympics, to encounter competitive sports.
https://www.para-athlete.tokyo/

So the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Parasports Next Generation Athlete Discovery Program was what prompted you to start taking up parasports.

That's right. Without this program, I don't think I would have started parasports. Information about parasports isn't often covered in the media, and even when it is, it's mostly people with prosthetic limbs or wheelchairs. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth, and I have spasticity in both my arms and legs, which makes it difficult to move and makes them stiff. I usually wear braces on both legs, but because I live the same life as able-bodied people, it's hard to notice that I have a disability if I don't wear the braces. I didn't know that there were parasports that I could try, even with the level of my disability.
So I was happy to find out that there was a sport that suited me, and the trial session helped me understand my current abilities and led to me joining the club team AC KITA, so it was a good opportunity.

I want to focus on having fun running, not on my records

We have been selected to participate in the SAGA2024 All-Handicap Sports.

At the SAGA2024 All-Around Sports Championships, I will be competing in two events, the 22m and the long jump, in the 100 category.
I was able to set a new Japanese record at the 2023 Kanto Para Record Meet, but rather than wanting to improve on my record, I remember it more as the fun I had running. So at the SAGA2024 All-Around Sports, I want to place more importance on having fun running rather than focusing on my record.

What kind of training are you doing in preparation for the SAGA2024 All-Around Sports Championships?

If I do too much strength training, my muscles become stiff and I get sore, so I value daily training, such as stretching, to keep my muscles flexible. Being in good touch with my body is also important in order to keep running.
I also regularly participate in training at AC-KITA, where able-bodied people also train together. There are many things we can empathize with because we are all people with the same disability, but I feel that training with able-bodied people broadens my horizons. Conversely, when people with disabilities achieve better times than able-bodied people, it gives me confidence. I feel that there is more to be gained from this than just learning running techniques.

Living in a hometown with warm connections

Are there any strategies you use to balance your work with your studies at school?

As a student, I think that studying is my top priority. I practice on my own during the week and participate in club team practice on weekends. I also have job hunting coming up, so I thought it was important to reduce the burden on my body as much as possible, and I started living alone in Ome City, close to the nearest station to my parents' house.

What kind of place is Ome City for you, Saeki?

I know that it would be more convenient to live closer to one of the 23 wards in order to go to university and practice, but I'm attached to the place because it's where I'm used to living. In particular, the people in my parents' neighborhood have strong connections, and when I was in elementary school, my house was far from my school, so I like the warm interactions with the neighbors, who would drive me there and talk to me when we saw each other.

Looking forward to interacting with para-athletes

Please tell us your future goals.

First of all, at the SAGA2024 All-Person Sports, I want to not only give it my all, but also interact with a variety of people, not just those with the same disabilities as me. In my life up until now, I have had few opportunities to interact with other athletes, so I am looking forward to hearing about what kind of training they are doing.
After that, once I have completed my job search and entered the workforce, I would like to continue with parasports for as long as I can.