This is such a great story, I had to share it…
Image by David W. Carmichael
Japan’s newest hero is Yuzuru Hanyu: the first Japanese man to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics figure skating! He has won the hearts of many with his boyish charm and cute nature. Who will ever forget his “oh my god!” reaction to finding out his result?! My high school students idolize him. The girls talk about him with so much excitement, pride and what I call “love eyes”. Some of my students have already started putting his picture on their notebooks, alongside the One Direction boys!
Hanyu is a 19-year-old from Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture. On March 11, 2011, he had been at practice when the earthquake struck. The rink he trained at was damaged, as was his home, and he spent the days following the quake at an emergency shelter. Miyagi was the hardest hit, being the closest prefecture to the epicenter. Thousands lost their lives, and the ones who survived were left traumatized by the event. At one point, Hanyu even thought about giving up skating. But such is human nature; we don’t just want to survive, we want to succeed. The devastation of that day eventually turned into motivation to win. And in turn, his win has inspired a country. We hope the people of Tohoku especially, have been encouraged even just a little bit, and can be proud that their son has triumphed. Just goes to show, there are no excuses!
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Some related news articles:
www.nytimes.com/2014/02/15/sports/olympics/yuzuru-hanyu-of-japan-wins-mens-figure-skating-gold.html?_r=0
www.miamiherald.com/2014/02/15/3936586/linda-robertson-japans-yuzuru.html
As the quote says :
The human spirit is stronger than anything than can happen to it. ~George C. Scott
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story!
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What a fitting quote! Humans have a remarkable capacity to overcome hardships and achieve greatness. It’s a wonderful story, indeed. :)
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Great story indeed. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for reading! I hope many more people come to know his story.
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I was so delighted when he won! I was a bit worried there after his free skate when he stumbled a few times but luckily his short program was so strong.
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You, and all of Japan! Also lucky his opponents didn’t have flawless routines! Have you seen the composite images showing the jump sequences? As opposed to watching videos, the photos make you realise just how difficult those routines are. Amazing athletes!
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