Office for Sports Promotion

【profile】
Kimura Junpei Born February 1985, 2 Social welfare corporation Himawari Welfare Association
2016 Rio Paralympics 10th place
2017 ITU World Paratriathlon Championship (Netherlands) 8th place

Go for victory at the Tokyo Paralympics

~Change from competitive swimming to paratriathlon~

Kimura had been using crutches since he was 5 years old due to congenital lower limb deficiency.He started swimming competitively in the first grade of elementary school, and has participated in three consecutive Paralympics since the Athens 1 Games, and won the gold medal in the men's 2004m breaststroke (class: SB3) at the 2014 Incheon Asian Paralympic Games.His competitive life seemed to be smooth sailing, but the world was a barrier to him, and he was unable to achieve the results he had hoped for at the London Paralympic Games. He thought, ``If I don't add some new spice, I won't be able to grow from my current results,'' and at first he considered switching to a sport completely different from competitive swimming.However, he thought it would be good to do a sport where he could put his competitive swimming to use, so he began taking up paratriathlons in addition to swimming.At first, he was unsure of how to balance it with competitive swimming.Still, he was determined to participate in the paratriathlon, which will be held as an official event for the first time at the 100 Rio Paralympics.

 “If I win a medal at the Rio Paralympic Games, I will be the first paratriathlon medalist. That would be really cool. That’s what I thought. I’m the type of person who likes to try new things, so I also started training for triathlons with the aim of competing in the Paralympics.”
 Thus, the days of aiming for the Rio Paralympic Games began in earnest with both paratriathlon and competitive swimming.

~Realizing the limits of self-management and the difficulty of balancing work~

At first, I thought that if I applied the skills and knowledge I had cultivated through competitive swimming to paratriathlons, I would be able to achieve some results.At the same time, I wanted to try my hand at self-management, so I practiced for the paratriathlon without a coach.However, balancing competition while self-managing was no mean feat.
 ``I thought it was similar to competitive swimming, but when I tried it, I realized that the competitive style is completely different between competitive swimming, where each person swims one course in a pool, and paratriathlon, where athletes swim on top of each other in the ocean. I was so busy that I didn't realize it.However, I listened to advice from many people and practiced twice as hard as when I was focusing on swimming, so I continued to believe that it was a positive instead of a negative. .'' However, he unexpectedly missed out on competing in the Rio Paralympic Games, having participated in competitive swimming three times.

“At that time, I was really disappointed. I was thinking, ``I'm definitely going to participate in the Paralympics, which I've been participating in consecutively,'' and ``I have to participate in the Rio Paralympics,'' so I changed my mind and definitely participated in the paratriathlon. !I threw myself into practice desperately.”
 Then, as a paratriathlon athlete, he obtained a ticket to participate in the Rio Paralympic Games, and decided to take this opportunity to devote himself to paratriathlons.His second competitive career began as a paratriathlete.

~The Tokyo Paralympics are all about winning~

At the Rio Paralympic Games, he unfortunately finished 10th, falling short of a medal.She has participated in the Paralympics many times and competed on the world stage, but she realizes there is a reason why she has not been able to achieve the results she had hoped for.

``I think I have a stronger desire to participate in the Paralympics than anyone else.However, what I am weak against is the desire to ``win.''When I look back at past interviews, I find myself saying, ``There is still a long way to go in the world.'' I made comments that lacked confidence, such as "I want to win," and "I want to win," but I never said, "I will win." I have a negative side to the world. I can't win with this kind of motivation. That's why I want to focus on "winning" at the Tokyo Paralympics.It's not "wanting to win," it's "winning."In order to aim to participate in the Tokyo Paralympics, I'd like to start from September 9th of this year. I'll be conscious of my time at the ITU World Paratriathlon Championships, which will be held in Australia until the 12th, and I'll definitely get results!"
 Kimura's commitment to "winning".I'm looking forward to seeing Kimura's performance at the Tokyo Paralympics.

~Towards the spread of sports for people with disabilities~

In 2017, Kimura attended the Waseda University Graduate School of Sport Science and learned about sports from scratch with Professor Takeo Hirata.
 At graduate school, I wrote a master's thesis on the theme of popularizing and developing sports for people with disabilities.As an athlete involved in the sport, I realize that there is a lack of interest in the Paralympic Games.He has given lectures all over the country, but even if people know about the Paralympics, very few people have actually seen the competition there.However, with the decision to host the Tokyo Paralympic Games, interest is gradually increasing.
 “Now that the Paralympics are being held in Tokyo, I want more people to know about the Paralympics and sports for people with disabilities.In Japan, there are many people with disabilities who play sports competitively. In fact, there are very few.The Tokyo Paralympics are not the goal, but I think it is very important to see how popular sports for people with disabilities will become after the Tokyo Paralympics.Before the Tokyo Paralympics begin, I will make use of my encounters and studies at graduate school. I would like to take action that will lead to the spread of sports for people with disabilities."
 Also, the surrounding environment is changing little by little.

“Originally, awareness of the Paralympic Games was low, and there were times when people didn't understand.However, since I was selected as a Tokyo Athlete Certified Athlete, I feel that the number of people who understand and support me has increased. By applying what I learned in graduate school and being active as an athlete, I hope that more people will learn about the Paralympics and sports for people with disabilities and expand the circle of support.”

～How Kimura spends his days off～

Triathlon is such a hard sport that it is sometimes referred to as an iron race.Kimura, who practices for such competitions every day, says that on his days off, he deliberately sets aside days to do nothing.
 ``I usually use my body and mind, so every once in a while I take a day where I don't think about anything and take a break from everything.I spend my time in silence, not listening to TV or music.''
 Because the sport is so demanding, it is sometimes necessary to take a break from the sport, do nothing, and face yourself.It seems that by resetting both his mind and body, he has regained his balance and is ready to take on the challenge of hard training the next day.

~Kimura's pre-game routine work and competitive meals~

Three to four days before a match, Kimura takes a day off and goes to a hot spring to refresh himself.He is in a daze, not thinking about anything, and washes away all his unpleasant thoughts in the hot springs to refresh himself.After refreshing, his body feels so light that he feels like he could fly, which is proof that everything is in order.He also always eats white rice before a match.
 ``Competitions are unusual events, and I often feel excited and strain myself.So, when I eat the foods I normally eat to relieve my nervousness, I feel more at ease and my sense of normalcy returns.'' The taste of white rice remains the same no matter where you go, so I always bring it with me when I go abroad.”
 White rice seems to be a source of energy for Kimura to fight through the long and grueling races, as well as psychological support.