Four top athletes, including skateboarder Yuto Horigome and wheelchair tennis player Shingo Kunieda, have launched a new initiative to create an environment in which anyone can take on challenges regardless of their disabilities. I decided to start.
The four participants are skateboarder Horigome, sport climber Ikumo Nonaka, and wheelchair tennis player Kunieda, and para-track Maya Nakanishi, all of whom have participated in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. We held a press conference with NEC, a major electronics manufacturer that we do together.
As a new initiative, we aim to create an environment where everyone can take on challenges regardless of nationality, gender, or whether they have a disability.
Among them, Horigome enthusiastically said, "If you don't try, nothing will start, and I think it's important to challenge and overcome barriers. I want to convey various ways to enjoy skateboarding."
In addition, Kunieda said, "Since I started playing wheelchair tennis at the age of 11, I've met a lot of people, and seeing seniors in wheelchairs living alone and being independent has given me hope that I'll be fine even when I grow up. It would be great if sports could create such an opportunity," he said, adding that he would like to expand the environment in which wheelchair tennis can be played nationwide.
The four-participating initiative is to hold its first event in November this year.