3
At the same time,/Ikee realized/that she owed a lot to her teammates. On July 4, 2020,/she received a birthday message from them:
You can laugh/even when things are hard.
We love you, Rikako.
But now you’re crying/because things are hard.
Still,/we love you, Rikako.
You can count on us/until the end of time.
One day,/together again,/we will laugh and laugh!
The meaning of swimming for Ikee/totally changed through her hardships. Before her illness,/her goal was simple and clear:/to become the best swimmer in the world. She said,/“I assumed/I could just focus on swimming/and live as I pleased. My only goal was to become stronger.”
As she recovered from her illness,/Ikee discovered a new sense of self. She said,/“I’ve been thinking a lot/about my hardships. Did I learn anything from that experience? Yes,/I can now empathize/with so many people. Just being alive/is an extraordinary experience.” With these thoughts,/she hopes to inspire people/by showing that she has returned to swimming.
At the same time,/Ikee realized/that she owed a lot to her teammates. On July 4, 2020,/she received a birthday message from them:
You can laugh/even when things are hard.
We love you, Rikako.
But now you’re crying/because things are hard.
Still,/we love you, Rikako.
You can count on us/until the end of time.
One day,/together again,/we will laugh and laugh!
The meaning of swimming for Ikee/totally changed through her hardships. Before her illness,/her goal was simple and clear:/to become the best swimmer in the world. She said,/“I assumed/I could just focus on swimming/and live as I pleased. My only goal was to become stronger.”
As she recovered from her illness,/Ikee discovered a new sense of self. She said,/“I’ve been thinking a lot/about my hardships. Did I learn anything from that experience? Yes,/I can now empathize/with so many people. Just being alive/is an extraordinary experience.” With these thoughts,/she hopes to inspire people/by showing that she has returned to swimming.