April 12, 2021
The 2021 SFC Kick-off Lecture was held on April 5 via YouTube Live.
The Kick-off Lecture is usually held for new SFC students, but it was canceled last year due to the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, this year's lecture was held for new students from both the 2020 and 2021 academic years.
The purpose of this lecture is to invite distinguished individuals from various fields to speak, thereby helping students broaden their perspectives, learn the importance of leading a meaningful student life, and cultivate an attitude toward their studies and an ability to accurately perceive societal changes.
This year, being an Olympic year, Mr. Dai Tamesue, representative of Deportare Partners and a former track and field athlete, gave a lecture titled "Pioneering Your Own Life in a Chaotic Era."
Mr. Tamesue won bronze medals in the men's 400m hurdles at two World Championships in Athletics—the 2001 Edmonton and 2005 Helsinki championships—becoming the first Japanese athlete to win a medal in a sprint event. He also competed in three consecutive Olympic Games: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008.
His advice to SFC students, drawn from his numerous achievements as a track and field athlete and his diverse post-retirement activities, was to "hone your intuition" in order to "pioneer your own life in a chaotic era."
When tackling something you have never experienced before, you do not know what will happen at first. By repeatedly training (preparing) and performing (executing), you can build your own core and navigate through chaotic situations.
When overcoming failure or trying to pursue your true feelings, it is sometimes necessary to distance yourself from social media and the words of others, to isolate yourself, or to forge ahead on your own. He urged students to see the COVID-19 pandemic as a chance to retreat and reflect on themselves.
He delivered his message in a calm tone, a message backed by his experience of overcoming pressure and failure on major stages both in Japan and abroad to achieve a brilliant track record.
Finally, he expressed his hope for SFC students: "I want you to practice 'living authentically rather than just living smartly.' I think everyone can optimize for the existing rules, but I want you to think about the optimal rules that include those who have been left behind by society."
During the Q&A session, many inspired students asked questions, and Mr. Tamesue provided a great deal of advice to help them get their university life off to a good start.
◆ Dai Tamesue
Representative of Deportare Partners / Former track and field athlete. Born in Hiroshima Prefecture in 1978.
The first Japanese athlete to win a medal in a sprint event at a world championship. He is the Japanese record holder in the men's 400-meter hurdles (as of April 2021).
Currently engaged in writing and business management. He is the representative of Deportare Partners, director of the Shin-Toyosu Brillia Running Stadium, and runs the YouTube channel Tamesue Academy.
Major works include "Tamesue Method: 100 Techniques to Control Yourself," "Winning Alone," and "The Power of Giving Up."
Posted by: General Affairs Section, Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) Office