A reflection on Rikako Ikee’s leukemia diagnosis intertwined with the author’s own battle with serious illness. The essay questions excessive training practices and calls on Japan’s swimming federation and sports authorities to provide the highest level of medical support and care.

2019-02-21
Rikako Ikee possesses extraordinary physical strength and will surely achieve complete remission… There may even be a miracle that allows her to make the Olympics. But the Swimming Federation and the Sports Agency must provide maximum support.

When television first reported the serious news about Rikako Ikee, I happened to be watching.
That evening I was dining with close friends.
In the age of smartphones, everyone already knew.
I watch television primarily for sports news and sports broadcasts.
When the news broke, what flashed through my mind was footage of Ikee training intensely at high altitude in the United States, in a way I had never before seen.

I grew up in Yuriage, a seaside town in Miyagi Prefecture.
Swimming felt as natural as breathing.
The river and the sea were deep and dangerous.
I spent my middle school summers diving from boats.
I was scolded in front of the entire school and slapped by my teacher with affection.
I loved sports.
I was fast.
That is why the memory of that brutal high-altitude training remained with me.

I too fell ill suddenly.
In 2011 I was diagnosed with a serious disease and prepared myself for death.
But I had to live.
I moved to a private hospital room and fought for seven months.
I continued writing and sending messages to the world from that hospital room.
I trusted my doctors absolutely.
I achieved complete remission.

My doctor once said,
“Disease is like a traffic accident.”
Yet I am convinced that illness can arise from extreme stress.

Rikako Ikee is already a world-class swimmer.
She was born to swim.
But was such extreme high-altitude training truly necessary?
Swimming is one of the most demanding full-body sports.
For athletes with rare natural talent, scientifically planned and measured training is essential.

The Swimming Federation must provide every possible support.
She must receive the best medical care in Tokyo.
No expense should be spared in securing the best treatment environment.
Ikee possesses profound physical strength.
She will achieve complete remission.
A miracle may even occur.
But institutional support is indispensable.