Drive to pursuing challenges in his early 50s

In this second part of the Q&A with Japan sitting volleyball athlete Yoshihiro Iikura, who participated at the Tokyo Paralympics, he talks about his approach to his goals, his bond with his family, and his dreams for the future.

Starting with the motivation that “there might be a chance” for someone inexperienced in sitting volleyball to go to the Tokyo Paralympics, Iikura worked on levelling up through individual practice.

“As it happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were no practice facilities available. Members who were practising together in Kansai rented a cabin deep in the mountains of Hyogo and set up a makeshift court there to practise together. After finishing work, I would spend about an hour and a half to two hours going there, practising, and returning to my home in Osaka, usually around midnight. I lived like this for a year, waking up at 5 a.m. the next morning to go to work. In that sense, the one-year postponement of the Paralympics was significant for me because I was able to practise a lot. Somehow, even I, who was the worst at it, managed to become a member of the Tokyo Paralympic team.”

It must have been tough to juggle work and sports.

“After transitioning from an ironworker to a logistics company, I managed to finish work on time. Even so, I was grateful to be able to take time off when participating in international competitions. (Juggling both) is challenging, but because I feel fulfilled by sports, it gives me motivation in my job. Conversely, because the company understands my involvement in sports, I feel obligated to do well in competitions.”

How was the actual stage of the Tokyo Paralympics?

“Since I set the Tokyo Paralympics as my goal, I felt that my efforts had paid off. My family also said, ‘It’s amazing.’ The opening ceremony took place at the National Stadium amidst an empty audience, but I walked in during the parade imagining a full crowd. When introduced as ‘JAPAN,’ I felt excited and thrilled (laughs). The athlete village and meals were enjoyable, and there was no stress at all. However, being a local event, there was pressure on us to win, I think everyone felt that pressure.”

Outcome: Lost all three matches in the preliminary league. They were also defeated in the 7th and 8th place deciding match against the Chinese national team, ultimately finishing in 8th place.

“At the end of the match against China, the ball fell just beyond my outstretched hand. I couldn’t help but…