Sae Tsuji

Started: She first tried Para athletics in grade eight of middle school and began focusing on the sport in 2015 at Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo, Japan. (Athlete, 06 Nov 2019; panasonic.jp, 24 Aug 2018; dentsuprdigital.com, 25 Sep 2015) Reason: She participated in an athletics competition while she was in middle school. When she went to university she initially joined the handball team but decided to focus solely on Para athletics after she was inspired by watching Para athlete Atsushi Yamamoto win gold in the men's T42 long jump at the 2013 World Championships in Lyon, France. "I can play handball anytime but, in terms of athletics, it really is now or never when I think of reaching the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo." (panasonic.jp, 24 Aug 2018; Athlete, 14 Jul 2017; dentsuprdigital.com, 25 Sep 2015) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (nhk.jp, 22 Mar 2024) Awards: In 2018 she received the Kanagawa Prefecture Sports Excellence Award in Japan. (pref.kanagawa.jp, 27 Dec 2018) She received the Female New Face Award at the 2016 Japan Para Sports Awards. (the-japan-news.com, 08 Dec 2016) Additional Info: RETIREMENT PLANS She plans to retire from competitive Para athletics after competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "If I can participate in three Paralympic Games in a row, I think I will be able to achieve my goal, so I want to finish with no regrets." (nhk.jp, 22 Mar 2024) FURTHER EDUCATION She studied for a master's degree at Nippon Sport Science University in Tokyo, Japan. (sanspo.com, 20 Mar 2021; NHK Paralympic Information Facebook page, 03 Apr 2017)