Interview with Tokyo Para Sports Staff Certified Person (15) Canoe/Coach Akemi Nishi (2020/3/13)
【profile】
Akemi Nishi Born in 1968.
Works at Owens.
She started canoeing during her university days and has been active as a top athlete, winning the title of intercollegiate queen.She was dispatched as an instructor at a canoe club in Koto Ward.Monica SeryuHe met him and began a relationship with him as a coach.Attended the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games as Seryu's coach.Currently, the two of them are working hard to win a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Canoeing is a sport in which you glide swiftly across the water.Athletes with lower limb disabilities participate and are divided into classes L1 to L3 and compete in a 200m sprint (straight line).We interviewed Akemi Nishi, the coach of Seryu, who finished 2016th at the Rio de Janeiro 8 Paralympics and has been selected to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Heading to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with unfinished practice
Meeting with Monica Seryu
~Please tell us how you became involved with paracanoeing. ～
Personally, I played basketball until high school, and only started canoeing after entering university.During my university days, I continued to be active as a canoeist, but after graduating, I started working in the sports department of the company I still work at. In 2009, the company was commissioned by the Koto Ward Board of Education to provide canoe instruction.
~That's where you met Monica Serate. ～
She joined the junior high school canoe club while I was coaching it.This was before she suffered a serious injury. She was not disabled and was on the basketball team at the time, and when she sprained her leg or injured her knee playing basketball, she started training in a canoe, which she could paddle with just her hands. It was like participating in a practice session.
In June 2013, right after competing in a high school canoeing competition, she sustained an injury in her school's physical education class, and was absent from school for about a year.Once she was able to move around in a wheelchair, she started coming to the canoeing range here.Canoeing had just been announced as an official sport at the Rio 6 Paralympic Games, so her coaches encouraged her to try it.
I heard from another coach that she was aiming for paracanoeing, so I went to meet her.When I met her again for the first time in a while, her gaze was much lower, and she seemed to be lacking some energy.She asked if there was anything she could do to help, so I started supporting her, and that's when I became seriously involved in paracanoeing.
I always want to be flat with the players.
~While providing guidance and support, have you ever found it rewarding or difficult? ~
Canoes and paracanoes are almost the same in length and weight, but I thought they were different.In paracanoeing, the degree of disability varies depending on the athlete, so there is no standard practice method, and each athlete has a different way of adjusting their center of gravity and rowing.No matter what obstacles you may have, if you practice, your physical strength and paddle technique will grow and change.Then, the braces you've been using don't fit anymore, so you have to order new braces...and repeat.It's like a never-ending chase.It's difficult to keep an eye on one player, but I think that's what makes it so appealing.
~Do you feel that your own experience as a player is being utilized to support the players? ～
I think that the basics of sprint canoeing are now understood and are being put to good use in terms of being able to teach.I sometimes get into Seryu's seat and try rowing to check the boat's center of gravity, balance, and if there's anything to cushion the boat.The degree of disability and physical growth will also change, and water is more unstable than land, and the water surface is not always the same.We are constantly talking with the players and making adjustments.
～What do you keep in mind when coaching your players?Please let me know if you have any communication techniques or tips for teaching. ～
Players may say, ``Coaches are scary!'' but I'm patient and flat-headed (lol).Para athletes' physical conditions vary from day to day, and their emotional stability also fluctuates, so as a coach, I always try to keep them level.
If we want to excite the players, we must also excite the support staff.
～What kind of existence do you think “staff” is? ~
Staff are essential for para athletes.Canoeing in particular cannot be practiced without the support of those around you, such as launching the boat on the water and helping you if you fall into the water.However, the current situation in paracanoeing is that there are many athletes who cannot secure support staff.
～How does it feel to be certified as a “Tokyo Parasports Staff”?Also, please let us know your impressions about this system. ~
Although I have only been involved in parasports for a short time, I am very honored to be recognized as a Tokyo Parasports Staff member.Since I belong to a company, I am very grateful that being certified has made it easier for me to receive competition support.I'm glad that the company is sending me out as part of their social contribution.Since this is a great certification system, I think it would be even better if we could interact with other sports and exchange opinions and ideas.If we want to get the players excited, we need to get the supporters excited as well.
~Please tell us about the highlights and charms of paracanoeing for sports fans. ~
Canoeing is also called F1 on water, and its biggest appeal is its sense of speed.The distance is only 200m, but each athlete has their own highlights, and Seryu is good at sprinting from the start to 100m.Although it depends on weather conditions such as wind and waves, the current world-class runner is able to run 200 meters in the first half of 50 seconds.Her current time is in the low to mid 50s, which is a time that would allow her to win at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Currently, the world level of canoeing competitions as a whole is rising. When Seryu first participated in the 2015 World Championships in Italy, the Japanese team created a special seat for the athlete.This was a revolutionary idea at the time.However, at the 2016 World Championships the following year, there were many foreign teams that imitated Japan and adopted special seats.I believe that improvements in orthoses have led to shorter times and are a contributing factor to the rise in competitiveness around the world.
~Please tell us your expectations and enthusiasm for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. ~
Seryu placed 2020th in the previous tournament.Seryu practiced as much as he could and prepared for the tournament, even though it had only been a short time since he sustained his disability.She also realized firsthand that there is a huge difference between a Paralympian and a medal-winning athlete, so she changed her mind after that, and I joined her in taking Tokyo XNUMX seriously. I vowed to work towards the Paralympics.
First, I recreated her body.With her body as a base, she is now able to do the exercises she wants to do for the first time.There are only a few days left, but I want to practice as hard as I can and be on stage at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.I would like everyone to watch it from the start of the 200m.
~If you have any prospects or dreams for the future of paracanoeing, please let us know. ~
There are a variety of paddle sports that can be done on the water, such as surf canoeing and stand-up paddle.I would like to see more opportunities to enjoy water parasports, not just canoeing as a competition.In the off-season, you can train your body through paddle sports, and when the season comes, you can go for "competitive canoeing", "enjoy canoeing", or even "marathon canoeing". I think it would be good if it became.For now, we are fixated on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, but as the Paralympics continue in 2024 and 2028, everyone will be able to experience a variety of paddle sports, which will lead to the development of canoeing as a whole. I hope we can connect.
My Feelings, Then and Now
The interview took place at the former Nakagawa Canoe Training Range, where Koto Ward has created an environment for paracanoe athletes.Neighbors taking a walk cheering on the athletes practicing and giving gifts, and I believe that the support of the local community motivates the athletes and leads to their good results. Ta.Coach Nishi also says that he wants to do his best to give back to the local community at the Paralympic Games.I hope they will aim for a gold medal because of the wonderful relationship between the competition and the local community.