At the World Championship held in Greece, only those placing within the top ten places were to go on to the Olympics. As expected, there was much tension in the atmosphere of the gymnasium. Nahomi recalls, “Since Japan stood on the borderline between the tenth and eleventh places, it was a really tough competition.” “In addition, at the beginning of the performance I couldn’t catch the club…” What if we don’t qualify… She couldn’t help but tremble at the thought of making a serious mistake that would completely alter the outcome of the competition. At that very moment, she heard the voice, “’7th place! We’re going to Beijing!” Tears of anxiety instantly transformed into those of relief and joy. “I cannot forget the coach’s crying face and the letters ‘JAPAN’ displayed on the monitor.”
Since her childhood, exercising was Nahomi’s favorite thing to do. For this reason, her parents decided to enroll her in a gymnastics school, and that led her to pursue this field. She kept going to lessons because she was “so happy to freely exercise the body,” but at the age of twelve as she placed third in a national tournament, her attitude changed. “I’d like to improve my form and be able to express more.” She realized that physical expressions of her thoughts and feelings could really move people’s hearts. The sport of rhythmic gymnastics involves the group performance of five individuals with different physical builds and personalities, and together they act as quintuplets, with shared respiration and psychology. “The important thing is to improve through connecting with one another.” Like a nymph from Greek mythology, Nahomi displays elegance and flexibility in her performances. Her team name “Fairy Japan” best fits her. “But I have strong biceps. In the actual performance, there will be a part where I have the major role in supporting the team members.” As a future goal, she wants to become an instructor of rhythmic gymnastics. “I’d like to accumulate various experiences and skills. That includes academics, of course, and also chatting with friends at cafes on the way home from school.” Toward the goal of creating excitement and rousing a wave of emotion among the audience, she conducts her daily trainings. It is going to be a while until she will be able to fully enjoy the pleasures of real college life.

Fairy Japan
Name of Japan national team of rhythmic gymnastics
For more details, please visit:
http://ameblo.jp/fairy-pola/