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I thought about retiring at the age of 17 … “One phone” that held the rising star of wheelchair basketball, Renshi Chokai (Yuko Shimazawa) | FRaU

Wheelchair basketball that won the silver medal at the Tokyo Paralympics. Renshi Chokai (22 = Para Kanagawa SC, WOWOW), who greatly contributed to winning the first medal in history, was selected as the “Tokyo Para MVP” by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. In the first part, “Wheelchair Basketball Kaede Ryukawa”, which created the adversity of Renshi Chokai, the journalist Yuko Shimazawa interviewed Toriumi, and her parents let her do what she wanted to do from an early age. He told me that he became an athlete who participated in the Rio Olympics while competing against his brother, and that he thought about leaving wheelchair basketball once after the Rio Olympics.

In the second part, I will tell you how he continued to play wheelchair basketball in Japan, even if he thought about leaving, and thus became a big success in the Paralympics as a representative of Japan. What is the “one phone call” that Toriumi received when he decided to quit and study abroad?

I couldn’t think of a Japanese silver medal without Toriumi. But maybe I wasn’t here … Photo by Getty Images

Call from the captain

Should I continue or should I pause? One day when I was forced to make a serious decision in my life, Toriumi’s cell phone rang. It was from Hide Toyoshima (Akira = 32), who was the captain of the Tokyo Paralympics.
“Everyone can’t understand unless they talk to everyone about what they think, or tell them what they think. If everyone knows what they think, I’m sure they can help. “

Toriumi“I’m not sure, but I think someone called me to hear that I was having trouble with my career. I don’t know if I asked if I would quit the basket. I found out that he was worried anyway. I was simply happy because he was the senior I relied on most and he trusted me. “

“There are many ways for you. I want to play basketball together, but I don’t force it.”

Teshima’s words heard from his cell phone echoed in Toriumi’s chest. He respects me, who is 10 years younger and still 17 years old. I was happy about that.

Toriumi“Including such things, I may have stopped (quitting the basket). It seems that there are people who are worried. Simply thinking from various options. But at the end, I wanted to respond to the thoughts of various people. “

Captain Akira Toyoshima and No. 2 Toriumi, who will enter the Tokyo Paralympics. Toyoshima used to be number two Photo by Getty Images

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