Momoka Muraoka, an alpine skier, won one silver and three gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics, making her the ultimate athlete, winning four or more medals in two consecutive events.
Looking at Muraoka, one cannot help but notice the similarities with Ayumu Hirano, who won her first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, avenging her two consecutive silver medals.
What they have in common is that they both competed in the Summer and Winter Olympics, and with the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics to 2021, they have only had a mere six months to adjust to the Despite this, he reigned supreme in the world at the Beijing Oripara.
After the last Olympics in Pyeongchang, Ayumu Hirano decided to switch to skateboarding to compete in the Tokyo Olympics. He qualified, and although his result in the main competition was a loss in the qualifying round, he genuinely found value in doing his best.
The motives behind the two's two-faced choice were different. Muraoka's heart was fulfilled after winning medals in the five events he competed in at the PyeongChang Paralympics. He made the choice to reset his mind once and free himself from the pressure of aiming for the world's top spot, broadening his horizons and devoting himself to the sport. That was to try para-athletics and compete in the Tokyo Paralympics.
On the other hand, Ayumu Hirano, with his ambition to challenge the unprecedented that no one had ever done before, decided to take on the challenge of competing in the Olympics in skateboarding, which he had been involved in since he was a child.
Regardless of their motivation, what makes these two athletes so special is that they both successfully competed in the Tokyo Olympics. And they won the gold medal at the Beijing Oripara shortly thereafter.
What made this possible was that by challenging themselves in other sports, they gained a sense that they could apply to their main competitions. Muraoka's training to row the Para athletics wheelchair has strengthened his core and increased his muscle strength more than ever. The body movements he does not use in Alpine skiing have built up his stability in further turns and turnarounds.
Ayumu Hirano's technique to perform and land on his snowboard has greatly improved, as he has sharpened the sensation in his feet by using a skateboard, which allows his feet and board to be free.
The most important point that the two athletes have in common is that their "mentality" has become dramatically stronger than their muscular strength, technique, or anything else.
By challenging themselves in a sport that is not their main occupation, the two athletes were able to reevaluate themselves, and they focused on confronting themselves as challengers and taking on the challenge of the Tokyo Olympics. It is always a sign of being a chosen one who has the ability to aim high rather than settling for the status quo, believing in unlimited possibilities as a human being before being an athlete without setting one's own limits.
In the process, he has further developed his mental strength, and on top of that, he stands at the top of the world. From both athletes who make it happen, I feel the ongoing evolution of mankind. I am truly proud that they are Japanese.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
