Carry the Olympic flame of hope—getting over the coronavirus pandemic
While the coronavirus pandemic is making the event difficult to hold, the torch relay is being held to connect the Olympic flames carried from Greece to the venue of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics through all over Japan. On May 19, 2021, Takahashi carried the flame of the Olympics as one of the torchbearers.
The reasons for carrying the torch
As a faculty member at Okayama University, I connect students from Okayama with students from all over the world. This connection has cultivated an attitude of cooperating with diverse people and has produced numerous results through international joint research. As a result, I received the Education Encouragement Award from the Okayama Medical Association for the long-standing efforts.
Currently, I am running a research project about Alzheimer’s disease at Harvard University in the United States with culturally and religiously diverse colleagues from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. After returning to Japan, I would like to convey to the students in Okayama the importance of respecting each other.
Sports develop mental fortitude and help break one’s limit. From my experience of completing a triathlon Ironman race (swimming 3.8 km, bike 180 km, marathon 42 km), I believe that one can make impossible possible.
As seen in the US-China trade conflict or the deterioration of Japan-South Korea relations, the world is now losing cooperation. At times like this, sports friendship is even more important. I would like to pass the Olympic flame with the belief that “peace is possible”.
August 2019, before pandemic
It is unfortunate that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which people all over the world have been waiting for, have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The virus has claimed many lives and jobs all over the world, and lockdowns and social distances have robbed us of our ordinary, happy lives.
Not to mention foreign travels, we can’t even go on a once-in-a-lifetime school trip, visit a sick person in a hospital, or even meet our grandparents. How many people’s happiness has been eroded and disappeared by this historic disaster? Now, in the pandemic with no end in sight, the world is depressed with unspeakable resignations.
But no storm lasts forever. Human beings are gathering their wisdom to develop vaccines, and people are taking infection prevention measures in consideration of each other’s health. The Olympic flame, a celebration of peace, has never been needed more than it is now.
At this historic Tokyo 2020 Olympics, I would like to carefully carry the torch of the Olympic flame that relights the hope of humankind.
January 2021, during pandemic
There is still a hope that the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will be safe and successful. We can still support the Olympics in many ways, like staying healthy and not disturbing the medical system.
I carry the flame and run for the hope as long as there are athletes who put everything into the Olympics, there are people who are waiting for their games, and the Olympics contribute to world peace.
May 18, 2021, during pandemic
Related: Ken Takahashi: Torch Bearer, Tokyo 2020 Olympics (NHK)
