Wakako Tsuchida

Started: She took up Para athletics in 1996. (nikkansports.com, 14 May 2017) Reason: She previously competed in ice sledge speed racing. After ice sledge speed racing was removed from the Paralympic programme following the 1998 Paralympic Winter Games in Nagano, she decided to switch her focus to athletics. (Athlete, 16 Jul 2013; paralympic.org, 08 Apr 2021) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (townnews.co.jp, 01 Jan 2023) Milestones: At the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens she became the first athlete from Japan to win gold medals at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games. She claimed gold in the 5000m wheelchair race in Athens, six years after capturing gold medals in the 1000m and 1500m ice sledge speed racing events at the 1998 Paralympic Winter Games in Nagano. (boston.com, 20 Apr 2009; SportsDeskOnline, 23 Jan 2023) Awards: She was one of the torchbearers at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (sanspo.com, 24 Jul 2021) She has received the Prime Minister's Award in Japan during her career. (Athlete, 24 Jan 2011) Additional Info: TRIATHLON Following the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro she switched her focus from athletics to triathlon after developing exercise-induced asthma. She went on to win a silver medal at the 2018 Para Triathlon World Championships in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, and competed in both athletics and triathlon at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. "I didn't have much experience in swimming so at first, I was afraid and it [triathlon] was difficult. I just kept practising in seawater. Swimming is very good for maintaining a healthy body, and I no longer suffered from asthma. I was able to compete in athletics again." (tokyo-np.co.jp, 12 Sep 2022; insidethegames.biz, 06 Jul 2021; paralympic.org, 08 Apr 2021)