[Special Feature: Tokyo 2020 and Keio University] Naoya Nagata: Psychological Support for Para-athletes

"There is no success for the Tokyo Games without the success of the Paralympics." This slogan was championed during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Tokyo Paralympics were expected to serve as a game changer to transform society toward the realization of an "inclusive society" where people with disabilities can actively participate and contribute. In this context, the Japanese delegation won a total of 51 medals, including 13 gold medals, and regardless of medal counts, conveyed the wonders of para-sports to many people and demonstrated human potential. The athletes continued their efforts for over five years without being discouraged by the postponement of the event due to the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, coaches and staff supported the athletes' efforts and ran alongside them.

As a member of the medical, scientific, and information support staff for the Japan Paralympic Committee (JPC) of the Japanese Para-Sports Association, I have provided support to athletes, coaches, and staff aiming for the Paralympics. In this article, I will report on a portion of the activities leading up to the Tokyo Paralympics.

The JPC has been implementing medical, scientific, and information support projects since 2006 to enhance sports medical and scientific support in para-sports. I belong to the psychological field (JPC Psychological Support Team) within these projects and work alongside 11 other staff members. Psychological support for athletes aiming for the Paralympics is provided according to the requests of sports organizations and the athletes themselves. The psychological issues raised as requests by sports organizations and athletes do not differ significantly from those of able-bodied individuals without disabilities. If there are points to consider, it is the characteristics of their specific disabilities.

For example, in psychological support, we conduct imagery training to strengthen performance by having athletes visualize themselves competing in their minds to acquire new skills or promote tactical understanding. When able-bodied individuals perform this training, they can utilize information obtained through vision. On the other hand, when working with visually impaired athletes, the support side must adapt their instructions after understanding the athlete's current level of vision and whether the impairment is congenital or acquired. This is because, in some cases, instructions containing visual information may not be understood by the athlete. However, providing support tailored to such athlete characteristics is standard practice in support that respects individual traits, regardless of whether a disability exists. I would like you to understand that it is not necessarily the case that special attention to individuality is required just because they are para-athletes (athletes with disabilities).

Now, for the Tokyo Games, the event was postponed for the first time due to the spread of COVID-19, and athletes, coaches, and staff needed to continue their strengthening activities for a longer period than usual. The postponement, occurring at a time when the Paralympics were drawing near, had a significant impact on the athletes. It is imagined that they were under high mental stress, unable to even go out, let alone practice.

The JPC Psychological Support Team provided information via videos to maintain mental health for athletes and stakeholders who were forced to refrain from activities due to the spread of infection, and set up opportunities for athletes to interact with each other online. By sharing the challenges they each faced, the athletes seemed to be able to ease their minds. Such attempts were also carried out by various sports organizations and can be cited as good examples of the flexibility of those involved in para-sports.

Around the summer of 2020, the infection situation settled down once, and strengthening activities resumed nationwide. However, for some athletes aiming for the Paralympics, the impact of changes in the infection situation continued until just before the opening of the Paralympics, requiring ingenuity in strengthening activities. During periods of high COVID-19 infection risk, intensive training camps held in groups were cancelled to avoid the risk of infection. Therefore, some sports organizations attempted to maintain teamwork by replacing group camps with online meetings.

I participated in online meetings in response to requests from national teams conducting such activities. The content of the support was to create an environment where athletes could easily converse and discuss, and the majority of the meetings were driven by the enthusiasm of the athletes, coaches, and staff. In the meetings, I was able to feel the attitude of the athletes who worked positively on what they could do even in situations that did not go as planned, which was a wonderful opportunity for me.

The period from 2020 to 2021 was a time of great impact for athletes aiming for the Tokyo Paralympics due to the spread of an infectious disease that many people had never experienced before and the postponement of the games. However, they continued their efforts with the flexibility to adapt to the situation and the resilient strength to conduct activities according to the circumstances they were placed in. It is a great honor to have been involved in a part of that. I hope that the strength possessed by these para-athletes will be conveyed to many people, and I wish to continue my support activities for athletes, coaches, and staff in the future.