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Going above and beyond

Japan's gifted athletes strive to bring home the gold in Tokyo 2020 Paralympics

Mami Tani
Mami Tani is a Paralympic triathlon athlete and looks forward to proving her abilities at the upcoming 2020 event in Tokyo. Born in 1982, she first competed in track and field events in school. She developed osteosarcoma while she was a student at Waseda University in 2001, that resulted in her right leg being amputated. Despite the challenge, she continues to perform in triathlons, blazing a trail for other Paralympic athletes. She first competed in the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004, later taking part in Beijing and London Paralympic events. Paratriathlon has officially become a Paralympic event during the 2016 Rio event, and Mami Tani aims to support other athletes by participating in the 2020 games.
Hajimu Ashida 
Hajimu Ashida is a Japanese paralympic athlete, and his main sport is athletics. Born in 1993 at Osaka, his category is T47, as he suffers from impaired muscle power and impaired range of movement. Despite this, he shot to fame when he won the bronze medal at the men's 4x100m relay during the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and continued to race during the annual World Para Athletics Championships, securing fourth place in the men's 4x100m relay. He continues to train and looks forward to taking part in the 2020 Paralympics.
Daisuke Ikezaki 
Daisuke Ikezaki is a Japanese wheelchair rugby player, and was named 'most valuable player' at the 2018 World Paralympic Championships. At age 41, he continues to be one of the best players in the world, proving that age is no barrier. Ikezaki switched from wheelchair basketball to wheelchair rugby, and became an instant star on the team. Part of the Hokkaido Big Dippers, he earned fourth place during the London 2012 Paralympics, and rose to score a bronze medal during the Rio 2016 Paralympics. He looks forward to setting another milestone in the upcoming 2020 Paralympics.
Monika Seryu
Monika Seryu takes part in the paracanoe sprint, and has been doing so since 2015. Born in 1997, she was an avid canoe enthusiast during her schooling years, but suffered an accident during a physical education class when she was in year 10 that caused impairment in her lower limbs. Undaunted, she refused to give up and continued to compete in paracanoe sports. She is now a part of the Koto Canoe Association, and represented Japan during the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Her goal is to win a medal at the 2020 Paralympics.