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Carrying Out Your Own Words

IKEMI, Sakura (Hakodate National College of Technology)

Saying is one thing, doing is another. How many of us can actually carry out 100% of our words? I often see athletes promising victories in advance and they actually win. How can they announce their future winning before games? Some people criticize them as big mouths. I don't think so. They carefully analyze their physical condition, strengthen their conviction by enduring hard training before the competition, and then, promise victories to someone important in their eyes because they don't want to disappoint these people they care about. The feeling gives them the extra power to honor the promise to the people they love. How do I know? I, too, am an athlete, and I won a championship as a technical skier and have experienced promising my victories to someone very important to me. Today, I'd like to share my experience of carrying out my words.

I started skiing when I was five years old. My parents were skiers and they taught me how to ski. I developed my skills with a "never-give-up attitude". I still have old memories of the cold I felt on the slopes. I practiced skiing with my parents and I was just happy when they praised me. My mother told me I was a serious child and could master whatever they would teach me. Soon, I improved my skiing techniques enough to participate in tournaments and placement tests. Year by year, I gained better skills and I did not doubt my abilities in the least. I was a kid who had never known defeat.

Then, when I was 12 years old, the day finally came when I lost a championship tournament. I couldn't believe the moment when I lost. I was angry, disappointed, and I started to hate myself. I had a panic attack and cried the whole time on the drive back home. Later, I learned it was my parents' idea to let me participate in that tournament and experience defeat. They also told me they did it for me. They thought I had become misbehaved and arrogant with others. They wanted me to become careful and tough by experiencing defeat in a sporting event. Now, I look back with gratitude on my parents' concerns. Surprisingly, my parents' lesson of making their child experience defeat is based on the same idea of a famous Japanese Shogun, TOKUGAWA Ieyasu. Quoting his words to his descendent, harm will befall one who knows only success and has never experienced failure. Blame yourself rather than others.

After experiencing defeat in the championship tournament, I realized that I needed to change my attitude. I started to mend my way, and became careful and thoughtful about people. Then, gradually, I was able to see how much the people around me had taken care of me: my family, my ski coach, my friends and rivals. My parents always gave me a ride to the ski slopes and supported me by taking care of me physically and emotionally. My sister watched me skiing, analyzed my technique and told me what I should change. My coach patiently observed me skiing and gave me advice, standing on the freezing cold mountain. My friends encouraged me whenever I felt like giving up. My rivals seriously practiced skiing with me, as we motivated each other. I realized I had been given a lot of support from the people around me. I wanted to repay them but what could I give? Then I decided to give them a promise: that I would win in the future. I told the people I cared about that I would win the next championship tournament and made tremendous efforts not to disappoint them. Efforts do not lead directly to success, but we cannot just rely on luck for our endeavors. After five years of continuous efforts, I did my best and finally won the All Hokkaido Junior Technical Ski Tournament in 2012.

While holding the new gold medal, I remembered what I went through since I first lost the tournament. I now know that words are easy to say, but much harder to carry out. Then I realized how much I had been taken care of by the people who love me. They gave me the power to face challenges and thanks to them, I could honor the sincere promise I made to them. I want to keep my pride as a person, and do my best to carry out my own words. Here, I promise you.