People :
Second Place in the Japan Women's Weightlifting Championships
Ms. Moeha Matsumoto

Ms. MATSUMOTO, Moeha Born in Tokyo, 1986. Graduated from Matsudo International High School in Chiba Prefecture. Currently in the third year of the School of Sports Science. Belongs to Professor Yasuo Kawakami's seminar. Came in second at the Japan Women's Weightlifting Championships, and eleventh at the World Junior Championships. Her hobby is to eat her way around different kinds of tasty food.

Anyone would be surprised at having the petite Matsumoto introduced to them as one of Japan's top weightlifters. There would surely be a gap between their image of top weightlifters and the actual reality. “Weight- lifting is not a simple matter of how strong you are, as many people seem to think. What is most important is technique to lift weights up, and also technique to bring out human strengths that are rarely used in a mere instant,” as Matsumoto says with her lively voice, shining round eyes, and cheerful expression.

She started weightlifting in the 10th grade. “The cool figure of people lifting up things that seemed so heavy” was her motive. She learned rapidly, and found it pure fun at first. However, she faced a difficult period after entering university. Her records started hitting the wall, and there were days of feeling she wanted to quit the sport. The university campus in Tokorozawa was a long from home, and Matsumoto was struggling to keep a balance in her busy life, in which her days started at 5 a.m. What kept her from quitting was her clubmates. “My seniors are great people. They never forget to smile even when they face problems. They gave me the strength to keep going.”

Matsumoto is the fifth of seven children at home. “I felt grateful to my family, especially when I had problems,” she said with a broad smile on her face. Her family and friends must be what give Matsumoto her warmth.

She mentions the usefulness of what she learns at the School of Sports Science. It becomes clear that practicing & training methods are all scientifically oriented, and that a collective balance of nutrition, sleeping, and living patterns is really important. Matsumoto has gained confidence by putting this into practice, and this year she is getting fruitful results.

“Studies and club activities do not go together easily. But I came to university because I had something I wanted to study, and I want to stick to my policy of being a scholar athlete,” says Matsumoto. Her words give a glimpse of her “strength.” On the other hand, she also says, “If I happen to quit the sport someday, I'd love to return to my original figure and wear clothes of my own taste!” laughing with her soft and tender smile. One cannot help but think that Matsumoto's “tenderness” is also one of her strengths.