In elementary school, I practiced judo and swimming. I started track and field in junior high school, and it was when a friend invited me to do it. My attitude toward practice changed when I participated as a junior high school representative in a municipal ekiden race held in Kanagawa Prefecture. By interacting with people from other generations, such as university students, I started to want to run faster.

I entered Komyo Gakuen Sagamihara High School, a powerhouse in ekiden relay races, but at first, I was just barely able to keep up with the practice. Even so, being able to compete and improve alongside teammates with strong running ability has become a great asset for me. I didn't plan to continue track and field at university, but I was happy to be approached by the coach of the J. F. Oberlin University ekiden team, so I decided to enroll.

I practiced a lot during high school, so I never struggled with the gap between high school and university. On the other hand, in my first and second years, I might have been so focused on my own practice that I couldn't be considerate of those around me and ended up causing trouble.

I participated in this year's Kagawa Marugame International Half Marathon and was able to run my personal best of 1:03:14. At the same time, I also broke my J. F. Oberlin University record, which gave me a sense of responsibility to act as a key member. Little by little, I'm also encouraging my juniors toward the goal of participating in the Hakone Ekiden.

All the third-year classmates get along well and can talk about anything. When they get good times at the time meet, everyone is happy, and on the other hand, they candidly point out what went wrong, saying, "If something doesn't work, then it's a no-go." I also keep in touch with classmates from high school who went on to other universities, which motivates me to, "They're working hard too, so I should do my best too." Now, running is fun.

We have steadily accumulated the distance we have run during training camp, and I believe we have been steadily completing this season's training. At the Hakone Ekiden qualifying race to be held in October, the combined times of the top 10 runners from each team will be the team record. We will continue to adjust so that each individual can run at their best.

I studied social welfare at College of Health and Welfare, and in the future, I hope to work in the welfare industry or public servant, where I can help people in a wide range of fields. While continuing to run marathons as a citizen runner for a long time, I also want to be involved in planning local marathon events. I want to continue growing as a working adult who can promote community development and community exchange in various ways.