2019.07.01
Everyone’s joyful smile gives me energy. I will go straight on my way.
He aims to win a track-and-field medal at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. “I want to see everyone’s joyful smile.” Yuji Togawa dashes with all his might.
His encounter with track and field changed his life.
In October 2018, Togawa won a bronze medal in the T20 (intellectual disability) 1,500-meter race at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta. Currently, he holds the Japanese record in the T20 5,000 meters. To take part in events adopted for the Tokyo Paralympics, he switched from long-distance running to middle-distance running more than two years ago. A qualification to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics is within range. “It is thanks to the support of my parents, coach, and colleagues at work. I want to win a medal in the Tokyo Para Games,” said Togawa, seeing 2019 as a decisive year.
At the age of three, he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (Asperger’s syndrome) with intellectual disability. “If nothing else, he was a fast runner,” said his mother. Recognized as a talented athlete, he went on to Oita Tomei High School, a powerhouse of the ekiden road relay race.
“He was not good at schoolwork and has a disability. I was worried about his joining the ekiden club that required members to live in dorms,” his mother added. Togawa kept up with hard training, but often faced difficulties outside of training. But he roused himself up on hearing Coach Hiroshi Inoue say, “You are most brilliant at running.” His meticulous and serious nature proved to be a great advantage. On top of that, Togawa has an extraordinary ability: he has athletic heart syndrome, commonly known as athlete’s heart. The normal pulse rate of an adult ranges from 60 to 80 beats per minute, whereas Togawa’s heart rate is below that, reaching less than 40 beats per minute.
What he lost and what he received
From his second year in high school, his personal best began to improve, and he could realize his goal of running in an All-Japan Inter-Prefectural Men’s Ekiden Championships and an All-Japan High School Ekiden Championships. Since graduation from high school, he has continued to practice while working for the past four years. In his first year on the job, he had trouble adapting to a new environment. On the recommendation of track and field people, he switched to Paralympic track and field. His goal changed from becoming “the best in Japan” to “the best in the world,” and so did his consciousness. Coach Yuta Hashimoto, a middle distance running specialist, helped Togawa’s potential to blossom.
His immediate goal is to run in the Dubai 2019 World Para Athletics Championships. If he is placed fourth or higher, he will come very close to winning a berth for the Tokyo Paralympics. “If I can produce my best results and bring joy to everyone, I will be happy.”
Yuji Togawa’s Philosophy
I owe what I am today to the support of people around me.
Profile
| Date of birth | 1996.9.20 |
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| Hometown | Oita Prefecture Japan |
| Results |
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