Shinya Wada

Started: He took up the sport in 2006 in Kyoto, Japan. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2013) Reason: His friend recommended he start jogging. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2013) Ambition: To win gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.(runnet.jp, 06 Feb 2024) Awards: In 2015 and 2019 he was given the Osaka Sports Excellence Award in Japan. (pref.osaka.lg.jp, 16 Sep 2015; pref.osaka.lg.jp, 19 Sep 2019) He received the Kirari Ibaraki Grand Award, part of an achievement award in Ibaraki, Japan, after he finished sixth in both the T11 1500m and 5000m at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (city.ibaraki.osaka.jp, 19 Oct 2016) In 2016 he was given the Osaka Mayor Citation Award in Japan. (nnn.co.jp, 14 Oct 2016) In 2012 he received the Impressive Osaka Grand Prize in Japan. (sponichi.co.jp, 27 Sep 2012) Additional Info: OCCUPATION He previously worked for the Osaka Blind Welfare Association in Japan, but switched jobs and began working for the chemical trading company Nagase as it allowed him more time to focus on training ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "I wanted to test my potential as a runner. The Nagase company environment allows me to train as much as I want." (nhk.or.jp, 28 Aug 2023; special-contents.komei-shimbun.jp, 30 Dec 2019; nagase.co.jp, 04 Jan 2021, 10 Jul 2020)