Re Interview

Taiga
Goto 後藤 大雅

2022.09.28

There’s No Hurdle that Can’t be Overcome: Taiga Goto, Weightlifter

Since graduating from university, Taiga Goto has been balancing competitive weightlifting with his work as a firefighter. “It’s a tough job and I can’t concentrate fully on my sport, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. If I don’t get results, I’ll have to get out of the game,” says Goto, reflecting a dilemma facing many of Japan’s top athletes. But overcoming ordeals has opened new doors for Goto in the past. Now, he quietly nurtures the flame of ambition as he rebuilds physically from the ground up.

—Your last competition before graduating from university was canceled owing to COVID-19, and you couldn’t even train properly. How did that make you feel?

“I was disappointed, because I’d positioned the All-Japan Intercollegiate Championships as the culmination of my effort up to that point. Competitive events were cancelled one after another during the pandemic. This also coincided with my graduate job-hunting period, so I had little time to work toward competition. I tried to stick with my training schedule, but staying mentally positive was even more difficult than I’d anticipated. My concentration was poor and I struggled to stay motivated.”

―What did you gain from your time at university?

“Everybody was ahead of me, so I started from right from the bottom. I trained as hard as anyone did, and ended up placing third at the All-Japan Championships, which gave me some confidence.”

―Since graduating you’ve been working as a firefighter. Isn’t it tough to hold down a job while competing at the highest level?

“Having a job is what enables me to compete, so my job is the priority. It’s a tough job with lots of training that uses different muscles from those I’d used previously, but I’ve learned a lot about building physical fitness.”

―What’s your training routine currently?

“On days off I train with senior high school students at my alma mater, but the volume of training is not nearly adequate. Things like experience and technique are important, but in my sport, results tend to correlate with how much training you do. I’d like to continue competing into my late 20s, but if I don’t get the results I want, I’ll have to think about retirement too.”

―You were plagued by injury in your senior high school and university days, but were always able to bounce back. Surely you can overcome this latest challenge as well?

“Weightlifting is a sport that enables you to test your limits and get a feel for your own potential. Many people have helped me get where I am now, and I want to live up to their expectations. I want to improve myself physically and achieve number one in Japan for the first time. Giving up is not an option. There’s no hurdle that can’t be overcome. A new horizon will surely open up for me.”