- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
Today (March 11) is the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a pivotal moment for Yuzuru both as a skater and as a person. We could have easily lost him and the magical moments he has created on the ice then. Yuzuru seems so childlike in so many ways, but in the essential things (knowing what he wants and dedicating himself, heart. body, and soul to it, holding nothing back; thinking of others and not just focusing on himself), he is really so wise and mature beyond his years.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, 3/11/14
Sochi Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu is determined to continue skating, using his performances to remind people of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the people impacted by it. The following is an excerpt from an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
I wanted to win a medal as a gift to Japan, which was devastated by the earthquake. That was part of my frame of mind at the Sochi Olympics. But when I actually won the gold medal, I was hit by a feeling of helplessness. It was because I realized a gold medal would not directly help with reconstruction. I even moved my training base to Canada from Sendai, where I was born and raised, to aim for a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. But at the same I wondered whether it was really good for me to leave my hometown, which had been struck by the disaster.
Three years ago, at the moment the earthquake hit, I was practicing at an ice rink in Sendai. The ice surface rolled in waves, and I could barely stand up from terrible shaking. I thought I was going to die, and I fled from the rink, crying. The memory of what I saw then still comes back to haunt me. Sometimes I can’t stop myself from crying and I suffer from nightmares.
Once I thought about quitting skating. I realized something when I won a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships thanks to the support of so many people: I skated to encourage people affected by the disaster, but in reality I was the one who was being supported.
The same goes for the Olympics. I was driven forward by the cheering. The gold medal victory wasn’t my work alone, but the work of everybody who supported me.
As a gold medalist, I began to understand what I should do. I will continue skating to share my message: “Don’t forget the devastated areas.”
The Yomiuri Shimbun, 3/11/14
Sochi Olympic figure skating champion Yuzuru Hanyu is determined to continue skating, using his performances to remind people of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the people impacted by it. The following is an excerpt from an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
I wanted to win a medal as a gift to Japan, which was devastated by the earthquake. That was part of my frame of mind at the Sochi Olympics. But when I actually won the gold medal, I was hit by a feeling of helplessness. It was because I realized a gold medal would not directly help with reconstruction. I even moved my training base to Canada from Sendai, where I was born and raised, to aim for a gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. But at the same I wondered whether it was really good for me to leave my hometown, which had been struck by the disaster.
Three years ago, at the moment the earthquake hit, I was practicing at an ice rink in Sendai. The ice surface rolled in waves, and I could barely stand up from terrible shaking. I thought I was going to die, and I fled from the rink, crying. The memory of what I saw then still comes back to haunt me. Sometimes I can’t stop myself from crying and I suffer from nightmares.
Once I thought about quitting skating. I realized something when I won a bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships thanks to the support of so many people: I skated to encourage people affected by the disaster, but in reality I was the one who was being supported.
The same goes for the Olympics. I was driven forward by the cheering. The gold medal victory wasn’t my work alone, but the work of everybody who supported me.
As a gold medalist, I began to understand what I should do. I will continue skating to share my message: “Don’t forget the devastated areas.”
he is amazing. I'm glad he was able to overcome that difficult situation and use it to be better. I remember when I saw the news about the tragedy, I hope everything is going better there.
