2022.01.12
On Thursday, December 23, 2021, Manami Doi, Japan's representative for the Women's Laser Radial sailing event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and a graduate of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies, was a guest speaker in the "Sports Business" class, taught by Yutaka Murabayashi, Part-time Lecturer and former professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance.
Ms. Doi began sailing in elementary school and competed in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics while she was a student. The Tokyo 2020 Games marked her third Olympic appearance.
In the class, she introduced the sport of sailing and spoke about her experiences competing in numerous world championships in addition to the Olympics. She emphasized the importance of taking a proactive approach to competition, and how managing all her own arrangements and logistics during expeditions helped build her confidence and sense of security. She also shared an anecdote about how, although the language barrier was an additional burden on top of competing, learning English smoothed communication with her coach and was extremely rewarding. She expressed her hope that SFC students would also take on such challenges.
While a student in the Murabayashi Lab, she worked on a graduation project that identified problems with the "FRP Sail Recycling System" and proposed systemic reforms. She continues to be involved in activities that go beyond the competition itself, such as upcycling sails and building a leisure culture in marine sports, aiming to improve the environment surrounding sailing. She mentioned that her connections with SFC are still vital in these activities.
The Q&A session showed that SFC students were interested from various perspectives, with questions ranging from the basics of sailing, such as "What do you look at—the wind, the clouds—to make decisions and steer?" to sharp points like "How do you differentiate your sail reuse activities from existing companies?"
Regarding her decade at the top of the sport, she said, "My goal was always the world—the Olympics—not just domestic results. Looking back on the path I've taken, there were many tough times during competitions, but I'm truly glad I took up sailing. Everything I've done will connect to my future life. I want to continue to challenge myself in a new career and enjoy it."
At the end of the lecture, she offered a message to the SFC students: "I hope you will do your best, keeping in mind that there are alumni who continue to take on challenges, that you should act proactively, and that you should also think about the social issues surrounding your own sports."