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Alumni Voices: “The path I’ve followed makes me who I am today”
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Alumni Voices: “The path I’ve followed makes me who I am today”

Fri, May 20, 2016
Alumni Voices: “The path I’ve followed makes me who I am today”
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Interview with alumna Tomoko Ogawa

From an aspiring astronaut to the first woman to climb V14

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My dream was to become an astronaut. I wanted to feel closer to space, so I climbed Mount Fuji when I was in junior high school, which blew me away. This experience led me to major in applied physics and join the wandervogel (mountaineering) club at Waseda. Then, my life took a 180-degree turn as I started rock climbing for training. I was asked to participate in a national competition, and after training for half a year, I came second place. This was how I got into rock climbing.

As graduation approached, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to continue competing or go on to graduate school. Eventually, I decided to pursue climbing. I created my own PR materials and looked for sponsors, but I didn’t have anyone supporting me at the time when I graduated. Not being able to see the future ahead, I became frustrated from time to time. On the other hand, there was a part of me telling myself that everything is going to be alright. After graduation, I continued to compete and look for sponsors while working numerous part-time jobs. A year had passed when I found my first sponsor. I chose to realize my dream instead of living a comfortable life. There’s no right answer, but I believe to make decisions based on your own values.

I focused on bouldering, which is like free climbing but without any ropes. In 2012, I became the first woman in the world to climb V14 (8B+ according to the Fontainebleau technical grades). It took 700 trials over the course of 3 years. I think I continued this almost impossible challenge because I had learned to take small steps in order to achieve big goals. You shouldn’t think about going 10cm forward but focus on where to place your fingers on a millimeter level and move even just a little ahead from where you were yesterday. This is not only true for sports. Doing anything requires diligence. As the saying goes, “a penny saved is a penny earned.” I hope anyone who is working hard towards their goals will believe in themselves and continue to endure for a reward at the end.

Becoming stronger and tougher through challenges

I was the only woman in my class year on the wandervogel team, but that didn’t mean anything. I had to work as hard as the guys, which helped me become tougher both physically and mentally. I even went on a cycling tour in Canada alone. I think a path leading to where I stand today and perseverance comes from there.

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The path I’ve followed is my strength

Aside from competing professionally, I currently give speeches and lectures where I talk about my background about how I became a professional climber instead of an astronaut after graduating from Waseda. I think of my experiences as a strength, making who I am today. Right now, I dream of climbing together with my two-year old son someday.


 

Tomoko Ogawa
Professional rock climber
School of Science and Engineering, Class of 2003

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At Waseda, there are almost 570 approved clubs on campus, ranging from the humanities to sports. The wandervogel club, which Ogawa was on, is approved by the University.

※The article is based on an interview conducted in 2015.


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