Shogo
Ichimaru 一丸 尚伍

2019.08.01

Beyond the limits of ability, the next stage comes into view.

Since he was selected as a member of the Japan National Track Cycling Team A in his college days, Ichimaru has been racing in the front line. Having suffered from a disease, he deeply appreciates the miracle that lets him continue the sport and is enjoying the current moment.

After hovering between life and death, he arrived at the conclusion: enjoy the moment.

As a team pursuit athlete, he aims for an Olympic medal. “I want to compete on the world stage,” said Ichimaru. “Being on the national team is a prerequisite. I need to stay competitive at that level, or there will be nowhere else to go.”

Ichimaru encountered bicycle racing when he was a first grader. As a boy, he loved to do physical exercise and was hooked on triathlon until graduation from junior high school. Approached by the scout of Hiji Youkoku High School, distinguished for its record in cycling events, he left his home at the age of 15 and joined the bicycle racing club. Among his classmates were Shiki Kuroeda (Asian Racing Team), Wataru Mutsumine (Team Bridgestone Cycling road race coach), and other talented athletes. Working hard together with them, Ichimaru endured extremely rigorous training.

In the summer of his second year in high school, he had a high fever with no known cause for about three weeks, hovering between life and death. He was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and hospitalized for two months. The disease is caused by ultraviolet rays, and his doctor told him that it was difficult to continue bicycle racing. Nevertheless, believing that he “had nothing but cycling,” he never quit.

An all-rounder indispensable for the Japan national team

After his comeback, he could not practice as much as he wanted, failing to achieve any outstanding results. However, “frustration at my inability to produce results, gratitude for people who have helped me, and my willingness to return a favor to them” served as a driving force. Ichimaru ranked third at the All Japan Amateur Cycling Championships for two years in a row and was selected as a member of a High Performance Program of the Japan National Team in 2012.

As an all-rounder, Ichimaru proved himself helpful in team pursuit. “The flexibility of being able to play a given role is my strong point,” said Ichimaru. Since 2013, he has been racing in the Asian Cycling Championships and helped his team win a long-desired gold medal in 2018. He also led his team to second place at the 2017 World Cycling Championships. Cycling is a sport that develops one’s physical potential to the maximum extent possible. “It is fun because there is no end to that,” said Ichimaru. Beyond the limits of ability, the next stage comes into view. The joy of feeling his own growth through repeated practice and gratitude for being alive make Ichimaru stronger.

Shogo Ichimaru’s philosophy

The most important thing is to enjoy myself.