Embracing challenges with no limits and no finish line—A special interview with skateboarder Sakura Yosozumi and breakdancer Shigekix

Sakura Yosozumi, a skateboarder specializing in women’s park events, and breakdancer Shigekix (Shigeyuki Nakarai), are sponsored by Daiichi Life. Both were born in 2002, the same year Daiichi Life celebrated its centenary. While taking great strides together with Daiichi Life as it embarks on its next 100-year journey, these two world-class athletes offer a fresh perspective by sharing stories of their countless challenges.

──What do you like most about yourself?

Yosozumi: I think what I like most is that no matter what happens, I always try to look on the bright side and think positively.

Shigekix: You definitely give off a positive vibe.

Yosozumi: There are, of course, times when I’m down in the dumps.

Shigekix: Really? Are there times when you’re just constantly negative?

Yosozumi: Not really. But when I lose or get injured, I do feel down. However, hitting rock bottom actually helped me rediscover the fun in skateboarding. It’s like going back to being a beginner.

Shigekix: You have a real athlete’s mindset. I think I’m pretty much the same in that sense. When things aren’t going well, are you the type to think things through on your own, or do you talk to your family or teammates?

Yosozumi: I share both the good and the bad openly with my parents.

Shigekix: That makes sense, since you travel together for competitions.

Yosozumi: I’m basically always with my mom. I tell her everything that’s on my mind, and I listen to all of her opinions. We share just about all of our thoughts with each other.

Shigekix: Well, since she is the one watching you the most, I think she probably knows what you’re thinking even before you say it.

Yosozumi: Exactly. She’ll jump in and say, “You’re thinking this, aren’t you?” before I can even tell her. (laughs)

──Shigekix, do you ever talk to anyone if you are feeling down?

Shigekix: I also share my thoughts now. I used to be the type who never spoke up—I kept everything to myself, and that worked fine in the past. But now, thankfully, as the scope and scale of my work continue to grow and I move into new phases of my career, I’m working with others from the very start and relying on their cooperation. So rather than just having people listen to my thoughts, I’ve started having more conversations where we share ideas.

Yosozumi: I see. What do you like most about yourself?

Shigekix: It’s probably my ability to concentrate. It’s not so much that I like it, but I rely on it. Ever since I was young, whenever I decided to focus, it felt like I had this special ability to flip a switch. When I was old enough to understand things, drawing was what interested me most, so I would draw for five straight hours until someone told me to come and eat dinner. I loved that feeling of being completely absorbed, and it still comes in handy when I practice breakdancing.

Yosozumi: That’s awesome. I kind of wish I had that, too. (laughs)

──What have you prioritized the most throughout your athletic career?

Yosozumi: My top priority has always been to give it my all and make the most of every single day. I strive to compete on the global stage in skateboarding. I know that time doesn’t come back, so I still keep that in mind as I train.

Shigekix: That’s wonderful. What has always been most important to me is the impact I felt when I first saw breaking and the feeling I had when I started—a feeling of exhilaration and love for the sport that I want to hold onto forever. As I’ve gotten older and built my career, I’ve gained more reasons to keep pushing myself. No matter how many of those reasons I have, I want to make sure I never lose that simple feeling of loving what I do.

Yosozumi: I know exactly what you mean.

Shigekix: No matter how many other reasons there may be—dozens or even hundreds of them—I think that if this “love” were to disappear, all those other reasons would suddenly lose their power to drive me forward. As a fellow athlete, I think you understand that even in difficult moments, or when I’m feeling down because of an injury, I prioritize that sense of love. I believe that is what helps me stay positive, push through, and get back on my feet.

Yosozumi: Have you ever felt like you dislike breakdancing?

Shigekix: No, I haven’t. I’ve never even thought about quitting. How about you?

Yosozumi: When I lost in Paris, I quit for two months. I had been working hard every single day, but it didn’t pay off, and I got knocked out in the qualifiers. For the first time, I simply did not want to think about anything.

Shigekix: I’m curious—how were you able to make your return?

Yosozumi: Those two months were very scary. I kept thinking that I would never be able to come back. But then someone contacted me and said, “There’s an event for kids in Nagano. Don’t worry about skating, just come and hang out.” So I went, and the kids invited me to skate with them. That’s how I was able to return.

Shigekix: That’s such a great story. How old were you when you started skateboarding?

Yosozumi: I was twelve.

Shigekix: Come to think of it, it may have been your younger self that was also pushing you forward.

Yosozumi: I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been invited to that event. It made me realize that skateboarding really is fun, and I decided to give it another shot. That experience helped me, and it has made me want to do so many things for other kids now.

Shigekix: That’s great.

──Shigekix, you have continued doing activities for children, haven’t you?

Shigekix: Yes. I’m currently leading a tour of workshops at elementary and middle schools across Japan, which is a deeply fulfilling endeavor. It gives me just as much purpose as competing in a tournament. I get loads of energy from the kids, and they teach me so much. Whether or not they end up taking an interest in breakdancing, I hope that through these workshops, I can give them a little nudge to help them pursue their goals and dreams.

──In life, what is the one thing you absolutely cannot compromise on?

Yosozumi: I guess it’s my love for skateboarding. I will not compromise on my passion for the sport. It’s something I cherish, and I’m confident that it’s what I love the most in life.

Shigekix: “Not compromising on my passion for the sport”—what a great way to put it. Nothing can top that. (laughs) For me, “embracing challenges” is something I simply will not compromise on. There’s a possibility I might eventually move beyond the breakdancing scene. However, no matter what my role ends up being, I feel I will never stop taking on challenges proactively. They seem to make up the compass that guides me.

Yosozumi: That’s fantastic.

Shigekix: If someone wins a world title, for example, I watch closely to see what they do next. Will they treat that achievement as the culmination of their career, or will they use it as a new starting point? Personally, I believe that even though tournaments are held year after year, a career is something you build over time. The people I admire seem to place great importance on the direction they take after achieving a major victory.

──What was your first experience with “taking on a challenge”?

Yosozumi: Mine was around the summer of sixth grade when I started skateboarding. I was just messing around in the backyard, but I started feeling a growing desire to compete in tournaments. However, I couldn’t get to practice locations or enter competitions without the support of my parents, so we had a family meeting when I started middle school. My parents said they would support me if I was serious enough to aim for the top spot in Japan. They also told me to stick to the school club if it was just for fun. “I am not joining a club. I am going to become the best skateboarder in Japan,” I told them. I think that’s when I flipped the switch and transformed into an athlete.

Shigekix: Amazing!

Yosozumi: My parents put together a training regimen designed to help me become the best in Japan. It involved things like ollieing over a plastic bottle 50 times, with my mom saying, “If you can’t do this, you’ll have to give it up.” At first, it was time-consuming, and I hated it. But after a week, I noticed I was getting better, and I started to enjoy it more. Apparently, my parents were just waiting for me to say, “Becoming the best in Japan is impossible, so I’m quitting.” (laughs)

Shigekix: I see.

Yosozumi: There was also the financial burden. I used to think that if I had one skateboard, it would last me for years, but that wasn’t the case, and skateboards are quite expensive. Also, if I skated every day, my shoes would wear out in a week! I heard this when I was older, but there had been a family discussion about whether my skating would bring financial success or cause us to lose our home. When my older brother heard that, he apparently said, “Let’s support her as far as we can.”

Shigekix: What a heartwarming story. It’s so full of love. In my case, I started breakdancing when I was seven. Back then, there were very few so-called “kid” dancers, and in the Kansai region, there were only a handful of people taking it seriously. Even among them, I was the least experienced, and I thought, “Am I on the brink of falling into the abyss right now?” So I set my sights on being No. 1 among the ten people I saw around me. I knew that wasn’t the whole world, but I think that decision was the moment a switch flipped inside of me. From then on, I practiced harder than anyone else and dedicated all my time to the sport. What started with just ten people expanded to include my peers across western Japan, and then the whole of Japan. The circle just kept expanding. I feel like I’ve always repeated the same mantra: “I am going to stand out as the best among them.”

──And last year, you finally conquered the world. Congratulations.

Shigekix: Thank you. Those first ten people who made this happen are still very close friends from my generation.

──What kind of future do you envision?

Shigekix: As a B-boy, I want to keep pushing myself to reach even greater heights and take on new challenges in competitions. But just as much, I want to actively inspire children who are just starting out in breakdancing. Of course, I also want to reach out to kids who aren’t involved in breakdancing yet and show them that being true to yourself, getting completely absorbed in something, and chasing your goals and dreams is incredibly cool and enjoyable. I hope this experience will give them energy and lessons that will serve them well in the years to come.

Yosozumi: There are very few female skaters my age or older who are still active in the sport. When I think about what I want to do next, the fact that there are no older skaters to look up to means I can do exactly what I want. Once I realized that, I started thinking that the best thing I can do right now is to work for the next generation. I can learn new skateboarding techniques from them and draw energy from them. That is also great for me. There is no right answer, and it will always be a challenge, but I think it would be amazing if I could blaze my own trail.

Shigekix: That’s so exciting.

──What do you think is important for expanding one’s potential even further?

Shigekix: Don’t set any limits.

Yosozumi: Yeah, don’t set a finish line.

Shigekix: No limits, no finish line.

Yosozumi: We are one and the same! (laughs)