Takahiro
Morita 森田 考博

2019.08.26

Returning a favor with canoeing, which changed his fate

Takahiro Morita moves the paddle through the water to propel the canoe. Having gained strength and flexibility over the past year, he is about to undergo a dramatic change. With undiminished gratitude in mind, the canoeist keeps paddling in the place where he was born and raised.

His well-built whole body muscles are his greatest weapon

“Canoeing has changed my life. I want to return a favor to those who have supported me,” said Takahiro Morita, an athlete in canoe sprint Canadian single. He returned to his hometown upon graduation from college and continues racing.

You may think of canoe racing as a form of slalom, an event where athletes navigate a canoe down on white-water rapids through a course marked by hanging gates. But Morita specializes in sprint, an event where paddlers race on straight courses on flat water, such as in lakes, to clock the fastest time possible. While kayakers use a double-bladed paddle, canoeists use a single-bladed paddle, which requires a greater sense of balance and more core strength.

“If you don’t have strong legs and back, you can’t move the paddle forward and pull it back forcefully through the water. Canoeing is a sport that requires whole body muscle strength,” said Morita. To preserve muscle strength, he goes to the gym after practice sessions for maintenance workout.

Keep producing results to open a path to the Olympics

At each stage of his high school and college days, Morita won one victory after another. But in fiscal 2018, his first year after starting work, he became puzzled, not knowing how to balance work with practice. Unable to switch his mood between the two of them, he was feeling less and less relaxed. “I changed my way of thinking to make the most of what I can do, rather than regretting what I can’t do,” said Morita. Recently, he has finally got used to and got the hang of his work, which has allowed him to concentrate on practice.

“If I make a good showing, there will be a way for younger athletes to follow,” said Morita. “A lot of people have created an environment for me to keep racing, so I want to return a favor to them. I can only repay their kindness by achieving results.”

With no coach or manager, he keeps working in solitude. But he believes producing results will increase public attention, giving momentum to the spread of the sport and the training of athletes.

For Morita, who is good at playing catch-up, “the start will be the key. If it goes well, I am confident.” He hopes achieving results at domestic competitions and winning a berth in international events will lead him to the Olympics, which he has dreamed of. “There is more room for my muscle mass and techniques to grow. I have many more things to do, and this makes me happy,” said Morita with a smile.

Takahiro Morita’s Philosophy

Never forget the feelings of gratitude and return a favor with results