I've loved running since I was a child. I also admired the Hakone Ekiden, and when I became a junior high student, I started track and field seriously. Track and field is a sport where you always face challenges. The sense of accomplishment when I set a new personal best is incompensible. I want to keep competing in this sport forever.

J. F. Oberlin University was largely thanks to Coach Shinyaka. I thought that running under a coach who knows both Japan and Kenya would allow us to absorb a lot. The coach's words, "We want to make the team even stronger," were also powerful. I thought that by aiming for the Hakone Ekiden together, I could grow greatly, so I decided to enroll in J. F. Oberlin University.

This year's Hakone Ekiden is the 100th anniversary of the race. The top 13 universities from the qualifying rounds will qualify for the main race. All the team members have started talking about "Hakone" frequently, and they are actively participating in daily training. There are times when the training is tough, but I also try to motivate them by saying, "If we keep going like this, we won't be able to go to Hakone!"

Currently, what we value most is "considering the intention behind the practice." By thinking about the purpose of the practice and what points we should pay attention to, we can improve the quality of our practice. We can't say that we're getting the results we want yet, but we've gradually gotten stronger through things like the summer training camp.

Last year, only two runners finished the qualifying race in under 65 minutes. This year, everyone is aiming to finish in under 65 minutes. My personal goal is to run the qualifying race in 62 minutes and 29 seconds. If it's like previous years, this time will put me in contention for the top Japanese runner. I believe that if I can create a good atmosphere by giving the team momentum, we can qualify and win.

I was able to set a new personal best in the 10,000 meters at the Kanto Intercollegiate Track and Field Championships this May. Last year, I suffered an injury and had a difficult period where I couldn't run, but I feel that the results of focusing on strengthening exercises and bike training are finally paying off.

After graduating from university, I plan to continue competing in a corporate team. Eventually, I'd like to challenge myself with a full marathon and run in the World Championships and the Olympics as a top Japanese athlete. To achieve that, I want to work hard as a team to achieve results in ekiden (long-distance relay races). Now and in the future, I want to create a team that people around us can look up to.