Actually, this is what I do at JAL! Interview with an athlete employee who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

There are five athlete employees who work as JAL employees while also being active at the forefront as active athletes, but what kind of daily life do they spend? This time, we gathered three of them and interviewed them about their two sides as athletes and JAL employees.

Naoto Tobe Joined April 1, 2019

At a competition held in Germany on February 2, 2019, he broke the Japanese record for the first time in 13 years and currently holds the Japanese record for men's high jump (2m35cm). He also studied high jump in graduate school and earned a doctorate. He is a unique jumper who is not only an athlete but also a researcher.

profile
Event: Track and field, high jump
Date of Birth: March 31, 1992
Birthplace: Chiba Prefecture
Main achievements:
World Championships (2015 and 2019)
IAAF Indoor Meeting (2019 winner) *Set a Japanese record
Asian Championships (2018 and 2019, 3rd place)
Seiko Golden Grand Prix (2018 and 2019 winners, 2020 third place)
Japan Championship (2011, 2015, 2019, 2021 winner)

Haruka Kitaguchi Joined the company on April 1, 2020

She established a new Japanese record on May 6, 2019, and broke her own record on October 27 of the same year, and currently holds the Japanese record for the women's javelin throw (66m00cm). She has expanded her field from Japan to the world, and continues to grow as Japan's champion.

profile
Event: Athletics - Javelin
Date of birth: March 16, 1998
Birthplace: Hokkaido
Main achievements:
World Youth Championship (2015 Champion)
World Championships (2019)
Seiko Golden Grand Prix (2nd place in 2019, winner in 2020)
Japan Championships (2019 and 2021 winner, 2nd place in 2020)
All Japan Corporate Championships (2020 Champions)

Kouki Kano Joined the company on April 1, 2020

On February 9, 2019, she won her first individual title at an international tournament held in Vancouver. On March 24 of the same year, she also won her first team title at an international tournament held in Buenos Aires. She is one of the promising athletes representing Japan in the fencing world.

profile
Event: Fencing Epee
Date of Birth: December 19, 1997
Birthplace: Aichi Prefecture
Main achievements:
World Cup Individual/Bronze Medal (2017), Gold Medal (2019)
Team/Gold Medal (2019)
Asian Championships Individual/Bronze Medal (2018)
Team/Gold Medal (2018)
Japan Championships Individual/Bronze Medal (2020)

Three different "personalities" and "ways to relax" during the off-season

--We've gathered three of you here, but do the athlete employees usually interact with each other?

Tobe: "We all practice in different places, so we often talk when we get together at events."

--The atmosphere when the three of you are talking seems very friendly. What are your impressions of each other?

Tobe: "The north exit is a bright mood maker."

Kano: "Her way of speaking is soft and gentle, so she gives off a natural vibe."

Kitaguchi: "People often tell me I'm quite naive, but I'm not really aware of it (laughs). I don't have many opportunities to meet everyone because I'm busy with practice and there are a lot of matches, so when we do meet, I think it would be nice to talk about all sorts of things, so I talk a lot. I'm a real talker (laughs)."

Tobe: "I have the impression that Kano-kun is calm and collected. Even when he takes to the stage at events and speaks, he speaks calmly and at his own pace. I wonder if that's because fencing is a one-on-one sport, unlike athletics."

Kitaguchi: "Just as Tobe-san said, it feels like he analyzes the situation instantly and acts accordingly."

Kano: "That sounds like a robot (laughs). I just say things that sound like they make sense, I don't really analyze things. But I don't think I get anxious very often. My first impression of Tobe was that he was a reliable person, but actually he often says interesting things."

Kitaguchi: "That's right, he says some interesting things every now and then, so it's really fun. Also, he's very knowledgeable, so even when we talk, we learn a lot."

Tobe: "I'm glad that I wasn't thought of as a boring person (laughs)."

--It's interesting that each of you has a different personality. You all play different sports, but what is your annual schedule like? I imagine it must be hard to be an athlete and an employee...

Kano: "The fencing season runs from November to July, but the All Japan Championships are in September, so there's practically no off-season. I also work as an athlete employee in between practice."

Kitaguchi: "In track and field, there are events like Mr. Tobe's high jump that have an indoor season, and events like my javelin that only have an outdoor season, so the competition periods are different. In the case of the javelin, the season runs from April to November at the longest. During the off-season, I do winter training to build up my foundation, while also working for JAL. This year, I was injured at the Olympics, so I ended the season early and took a break, and I plan to start winter training at the end of October."

Tobe: As Kitaguchi explained, there is an indoor season for the high jump. The outdoor season is from April to September, and the indoor season is from mid-January to early March. I train during the off-season and work for JAL.

--I see, everyone is busy. How do you take a break from all that?

Kano: "I don't really have any hobbies, but I watch a lot of YouTube. I like animals, and lately I've been hooked on videos of Asian small-clawed otters (laughs). Asian small-clawed otters are really smart, and they wipe their bodies with towels. They cost about 1 million yen each, so I couldn't really keep one."

Kitaguchi: "I thought about it that much (laughs). I like sweets, and going to delicious restaurants used to be a way to unwind, but now that I can't go out because of the coronavirus pandemic, I bought the manga "One Piece" to enjoy my time at home. My latest hobby is reading new volumes."

Tobe: "I also read manga and watch YouTube, but one thing I can't help but do, a habit I picked up in graduate school, is looking for research papers. Once you know how to read them, they're quite interesting. When I read research papers about training that have nothing to do with my sport, I make unexpected discoveries, so I end up reading a lot of them."

--That's a unique way for you to relax as a researcher! Thank you for letting me know the unique side of you all.

"Words of encouragement from my peers" are my motivation

--You all did a great job at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but what kind of support did you receive from JAL and those around you?

Kitaguchi: "The support from JAL employees was encouraging. Since I was a university student, I often practiced alone, and while I was able to work freely, I didn't often feel like someone was cheering me on. Since I joined the company in 2020, I received words of encouragement at in-house debriefing sessions after the Japan Championships and the Olympics, which gave me a real sense that there were people cheering me on, and it also gave me strength at the Olympics."

Kano: "Since I joined the company, I've felt the power of the people who support me even more. Also, when I was a student, I didn't have any contact with athletes other than fencing, so I think it was a positive thing for me to be able to interact with athletes from other sports, including Tobe-san, Kitaguchi-san, and Team JAL's Yamamoto Ryoga (triple jump, track and field) and Doi Annan (sprint, track and field). Even just casual conversations can lead to new discoveries and are stimulating."

Tobe: "As the two of them said, the support from within JAL has been a great source of strength. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic from last year to this year has had a direct impact on the aviation industry. Even in such a difficult situation, I was glad to see all the JAL employees cheering me on in a positive manner, and it motivated me. The support of my colleagues is great."

--That sounds like a lot of warm support. After the Olympics, did you have a chance to interact with JAL employees?

Tobe: "I was able to interact with people at the in-house briefing sessions. Also, when I came to work, people who happened to be in the elevator with me or who I passed in the hallway would say to me, 'I was watching the Olympics,' and I was really grateful for that."

Kitaguchi: "I received so many comments from people saying 'Congratulations' and 'You looked great'. I wasn't completely satisfied with the results, but thanks to the employees, I was able to think that it was a good result, and it gave me a positive feeling."

Spreading the joy of sports both inside and outside the company also leads to personal growth

--You mentioned "working for JAL" in your earlier talk, but what kind of work do you do as an athlete employee?

Tobe: One of the initiatives being undertaken by our athlete employees is the "Wellness Activities to Promote the Health of JAL Employees." JAL is conducting "Serious Radio Exercises" in earnest in each department, and we filmed a lecture video to be played there.

Kitaguchi: "Because it was a lecture video, we all had to move our bodies in the same direction, and we all had to open our legs at the same time, so it was really hard to film (laughs). We made lots of mistakes, but we managed to get the footage aired."

Tobe: "I made the most mistakes (laughs). We had to do dozens of takes."

Kitaguchi: "We also worked on a countdown project for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics by uploading one exercise video per day to the employee intranet. We filmed the videos at each training location, but because we don't often see athletes training, it seemed fresh to our employees."

Kano: "I don't often get to show the training and stretching I do on a regular basis, so this was a new experience for me. I think I was able to contribute both as an athlete and as an employee in the sense that what I've been doing will lead to everyone's health."

Tobe: "Many people have told me that they watched the video, so I'm glad I filmed it even though I wasn't used to it."

Kano: "We also hold clinics for children and students outside the company. These are activities in cooperation with various sports organizations, and are aimed at popularizing the sport, improving skills, and providing opportunities for interaction with current athletes. The target audience is elementary school students through university students. In fencing, we introduced basic tactics for epee and the training content of the national team."

-Did you actually talk to the children about this, Mr. Kano?

Kano: Yes, but it was difficult to explain things in a way that the children could understand. I struggled the first time around. When I met again with participants I had taught a year ago, they told me that they now understood épée better and that they had more variety in their training methods, which made me genuinely happy. I think I can teach them without being so nervous now.

--I see. So as an athlete employee, you are engaged in activities to "communicate with people." Is there anything you have noticed or learned from doing so?

Tobe: "Basically, athletes are confined to the stadium and spend a lot of time facing themselves, so the opportunities to communicate with people as an athlete employee are valuable. Being exposed to different values allows you to think about things from a different perspective, and I think it adds depth to you both as a person and as an athlete."

Kano: "I believe that if you don't understand the sport or practice yourself, you can't communicate it to others. Also, by communicating with others, you can become aware of areas that you didn't understand, so it's a valuable opportunity for me to grow as an individual."

Kitaguchi: "I've never been good at explaining things to people or speaking in interviews, so I'm currently learning how to communicate through my work as an athlete employee. I hope to improve so that I can explain myself and my sport well!"

Our athlete employees are striving to be the best in the world, while also conveying the appeal and fun of sports. We look forward to their continued success, so be sure to check out their upcoming events!

JAL is an Official Airline Partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.