Portrait (1) Masaki Akimoto / Fourth-year student, Faculty of Policy Management

At 179 cm tall and weighing in at 119 kg, Masaki Akimoto is built tough. One of his thighs alone measures a whopping 72 centimeters around. But the friendly demeanor and refreshing smile betray the imposing build of this athlete. "I trained in shot put since junior high and have always wanted to compete on a global level." Although Akimoto ranks among the best shot putters in Japan, he has never been able to reach the level of the global competition.

Still chasing his dream of competing globally, he decided to try out for the Japanese bobsled team at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. "Physical strength, especially in your arms and legs, is important when it comes to bobsledding to both steer and kick off. You use the same muscles with shot put." Akimoto was successful in the first round of tryouts in May but was unable to pass the second round in August.

"My philosophy is to always take challenges. I have no regrets about trying." He says he has a job lined up to work for a television station from next April. So, will Akimoto take the challenge again in four years? He says he just might.