TAKESHI KAWAMOTO: "Do your best, not just for yourself but for the joy of those who support you"

There were already signals of the onset of a hot, tropical summer in Singapore. It was here at the mouth of the Singapore River, which twists its way through the urban landscape, where Singapore's most-iconic Merlion statue graces the waterfront, while the popular Marina Bay Sands resort is situated nearby, the combination of which created picture postcard views of this Asian city-state. While many #people travel to Singapore for business or vacation, #takeshikawamoto ventured here to hone his "warrior" skills.

Kawamoto, a competitive swimmer and butterfly specialist, is no stranger to winning. At the qualifying trials for the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) (Short Course Worlds) in October last year, he won twice―tying the Japanese record of 22.49 seconds in the 50-meter event on one day and setting a new Japanese record on the next day of 49.60 seconds in the 100-meter event*1. The following month, at the FINA World Aquatic Championships, he again took the 100 meters, giving him his first taste of victory on the world stage.

Kawamoto's main weapon is his dolphin kick, a powerful move where his body, centered on its trunk, flexes to deliver perfectly-timed energy to the tips of his toes, with both legs kicking up and down in unison to propel him through the water. According to former #toyota swim team member Takashi Kishida of the #toyota Sports & Corporate Citizenship Department, Kawamoto's dolphin kick is either the best or second best in Japan.

However, beyond Japan, Kawamoto views Singapore's Joseph Schooling to be perhaps his biggest rival, even when it comes to the dolphin kick. Like Kawamoto, Schooling was born in 1995 and competes in the short-distance butterfly, having captured gold in the 100 meters at the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016. Kawamoto has been keeping an eye on Schooling since their student days and is constantly aware that Schooling is the one to beat among swimmers of their generation.

So when fortune came calling, Kawamoto jumped at the opportunity to take part in the same strength training for swim sprinters that Schooling was to attend. He realized it would be a good chance to pit himself against his rival in high-level training overseas. So―like a samurai set on winning―Kawamoto, not letting his lack of English skills hold him back, went pounding on the doors of a "warrior training hall" in Singapore.

Kawamoto took his early dips in the pool when he was only three, after following his brother, five years older, to a local swimming school in #toyota City.

"At first, I couldn't stand the water. I'd cry, or one of the instructors would have to carry me around in the pool," recalled Kawamoto. "But after I got the hang of it, I started thinking it was fun racing against others about my size and in the same school year."

Even during practice, Kawamoto always made any swimmer in a neighboring lane his rival. "I hate to lose," he said. That attitude paid off, making Kawamoto a regular competitor in national swim meets ever since he was in elementary school. He went to a high school and university that both had strong swimming squads, and, at university, while serving as vice captain of the team, he honed his abilities by trying to outdo his own teammates in terms of technique and race times.

Kawamoto has not been alone in his journey. His brother, who led him to swimming in the first place and has since left competitive swimming, is now a physical therapist. However, he still supports Kawamoto, whose swimming career has continued uninterrupted, by periodically checking on his condition. Additionally, Kawamoto's parents turn up at all of his swim meets in Japan. "What I appreciate about my parents the most is that, even if my [race] times are not good, they don't say anything. I think that's one of the reasons I've been able to get this far," said Kawamoto.

Talking about his own personality, Kawamoto said, "I'm kind of a loner. I've got a lot of passion and aspirations, but I don't talk about them much."

Due to his strongly competitive spirit, he somehow came off to us as perhaps being the kind of person who clearly does not like to talk about his losses, even with members of his family.

When it comes to his own physical condition and mental well-being, rather than leaving everything up to the team's trainers, he takes his own discerning approach to self-care. It could be said that, after a #competition that ends in frustration and regret, it is the person who has fought the battle who most understands the situation and how to deal with it.

Transitioning into company life as an athlete was not that easy for Kawamoto. Soon after entering #toyota in April 2017, he unfortunately injured his right elbow. The injury required a full two months to heal, during which he could not even get in the water. As he focused on nursing his elbow back to health, Kawamoto took a good look at his situation as a working athlete who belonged to a company. That is when he realized the huge expectations placed on him.

An enormous sense of pressure enveloped Kawamoto, as he soon felt the need to deliver positive results when competing in swim meets. But with such results proving to be evasive, Kishida and other supporters of Kawamoto carefully guided him forward, while repeating the PDCA cycle*2.

Kawamoto says that the kind support provided by others helped him to reset his outlook. "I decided to do my best not just for myself but for the joy of those who support me," he said. Although progress continued to be slower than he had expected, Kawamoto found time for self-reflection. Eventually, things started to improve for Kawamoto, who was now armed with a new sense of direction as an athlete.