Ayaka is a Third-year at Akita’s Omagari H.S. She started working significantly after coming into highschool, citing her sister’s affect. “After I noticed her successful her phases and serving to her crew in college ekidens, I assumed that I’d be capable to do the identical and determined to present it a attempt,” she stated. Earlier than her wonderful run on the Paris Olympics Yuka ran the East Japan Ladies’s Ekiden 3 occasions, inspiring others as she went from a younger athlete to the most effective on this planet. “I used to be stunned that she was aggressive at that stage,” stated Ayaka. “After I noticed how robust she was working it actually moved me.”
In junior highschool Ayaka was on the tennis crew, however after being accepted by the identical highschool her sister had gone to she determined to run for the observe crew like Yuka had. At 165 cm Ayaka has a dynamic working kind, main the Omagari crew as its star runner and creating nice expectations for her future. Head coach Yu Suzuki commented, “She has lengthy legs and is ready to use them to run massive. She has plenty of pure expertise, and if she will be taught to make higher use of it I believe she will turn into even stronger.”
Requested about Ayaka’s persona, her teammates stated, “She’s very harmless, however delicate to others and may discover adjustments in individuals. She’s a bit absent-minded however is humorous too and at all times makes us snigger.” Her hobbies embody watching anime and drawing and she or he is a giant fan of Okay-pop group Twice, however when she runs she modifies utterly. In apply she is at all times all-in and challenges herself to beat the occasions coach Suzuki provides her for her exercises, and she or he believes in by no means giving in till the very finish.
At October’s prefectural qualifier for the Nationwide Excessive Faculty Ekiden she ran on the primary stage towards all of the hardest competitors from different colleges, however although she received the stage she wasn’t happy along with her efficiency. “It is good to win the stage,” she stated, “however I needed to get additional forward of the groups behind me and assist my crew out extra.” Strict with herself and hating to lose, Ayaka additionally feels strain from being referred to as Yuka’s little sister. “The extra profitable she is, the extra anxious is makes me generally,” she stated. “I really feel like I’ve to alter too.”
Regardless of the strain of being in contrast, the 2 sisters are very shut and have the identical hobbies, speaking excitedly about anime and manga after they’re collectively. Though they stay far aside, Yuka at all times sends Ayaka messages of assist earlier than vital races. “After she received the MGC and certified for Paris she despatched me a message saying, ‘You are getting higher actually quick. Simply preserve working at it with out overdoing it,'” stated Ayaka. “It actually inspired me and made me really feel like I might shoot for the highest since she had made it there.”
Yuka stays Ayaka’s greatest motivation. “She’s the athlete I respect probably the most, and as my older sister I am actually pleased with her and depend on her,” she stated. “She’s working exhausting and doing all the things she will to be the perfect, so I do not wish to do any much less.” Ayaka plans to proceed working after graduating from highschool subsequent spring. In her first and final East Japan Ladies’s Ekiden, she plans to stay up the race’s ultimate of working with out regrets till the very finish.
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translated by Brett Larner
