ATHLETE

Meet the Athletes

Get to know the participating world-class athletes, and discover what makes each one of them superhuman.

Athletics athlete
Deaflympics athlete

Nagisa Takahashi

Born in 2000 in Tokyo. Ranked 8th in Japan in the women's high jump (As of May 2024) After graduating from Tokyo High School and Nihon University, she joined Masonwork Group and joined SENKO Co., Ltd. from Jan. 2024. Starting with 2022 Japan Athletics Championships which she has won for the first time, she has achieved consecutive victories in the following championships in 2023. She has become one of the leading Japanese athlete in the women’s high jump. In 2024, she turned over a new leaf and transferred to SENKO Co., Ltd. She has consecutively achieved a personal best in Feb., and jumped to a ranking of 8th in Japan. She has set a record of 1m88cm this May. She is a young high jump athlete with high hopes who can rewrite the 20 years history.

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Masaki Sato

After graduating from Kofu Kogyo Technical High School in Yamanashi prefecture, worked at an auto company for eight years. Now he belongs to KI Star Real Estate Co., Ltd. “KI Challenged Athlete Team”. In 2021 he won a silver medal at the World Deaf Judo Championships. In the following year of 2024, he won Gold for the first time at 2nd World Deaf Judo Championship and stood on top of the world. In parallel with his competitive life, he entered Seisa University (correspondence course) in 2017 with the aim of obtaining a teaching license. After 6 years of study, obtained a teaching license for middle and high school health, physical education, and special needs schools. He is aiming to win a gold medal at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics in order to establish himself as a leader in Japanese Deaf Judo and a role model for deaf children.

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Masaki SATO, Deaf Judo – “Life is bright even if you can’t hear” Yawara no michi (=the art of judo) that we want to pass on to the next generation

If I wear a judo uniform, I too can become the hero I admire-- I started judo from the pure heart of a child, and that's how I made my first friends. Now that he is an adult, he has become first in the world of deaf judo. Masaki Sato's eyes shine as he uses his own Yawara no michi (the art of judo)as a role model to convey the joy of life and judo to other deaf children. A judoka who is so dedicated to the sport that he even changed jobs in order to win a gold medal at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics. On the other hand, when he steps off the tatami mat, he is known to be a devoted husband which is not seen by many.

Masaaki Numakura, Deaf Badminton – Aim for Gold medal with his wife. “Self-realization” at the Deaflympics

“Deaflympics is a place for self-realization”, that’s the words of leader of the Japanese team for Deaf Badminton, Masaaki Numakura. His first Deaflympic Games was the Samsun Deaflympics 2017, and he won silver medal for the team competition at the Caxias do Sul 2022. He paired with his wife, Chihiro Numakura at the mixed doubles, and they are aiming for the top of the world together. What does the leader of Deaf Badminton want to achieve at the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics where he will be turning the big 40.

Nagisa Takahashi, Athletics – Challenging “Women’s oldest record” Enjoyment of building up record of “1cm”

Japanese record of 1m96cm for the women’s high jump is the “oldest” record which hasn’t been updated since 2001. Many years have passed since many players have tried and hampered to break the record. 24 year old Nagisa Takahashi is the most closest to breaking the record. She won her second consecutive world championship titles. With her impressive tall height of 173cm, she has achieved her personal best of 1m88cm this May. The hope of high jump athlete with a remarkable growth is continuing to challenge herself by facing challenges while having fun.

Ken Toyoda, Athletics – The pride of a “unique hurdler”, I am the only one who can do both 110 and 400.

The men's hurdles in Japan are more competitive than ever, and the athletes are competing against each other. In this situation, Ken Toyoda is aiming for the world stage in both the 110mH and 400mH. It is extremely unusual for these two disciplines to work together, partly because of the different natures required. The unique hurdler, who boasts of a blessed physique of 195 cm in height, expresses his pride about this difficult challenge, saying, “I am the only one who can do it.

Yuka Tsuji, Deaf Orienteering – A passion towards competition that grew out of a “disqualification”. Becoming a pioneer who continues to run the pathless road.

Orienteering is a competition to see how fast you can reach the goal by passing through control　points (checkpoints) set up in the mountains and fields while utilizing a map and compass. She must have the physical ability to determine how to navigate the pathless roads and run through rough terrain. Yuka Tsuji is the only Japanese female athlete in this grueling event. She is a “pioneer,” so to speak, and why did she enter the world of orienteering? We asked her about why she started competing and her thoughts on the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics.