Forging a New Path in Wrestling and Becoming a Bridge to the Muslim World

I've loved being active since I was little and have tried many different sports. My encounter with wrestling came when I was seven years old. I saw a match of wrestler Kyoko Hamaguchi on TV and thought, "I want to try this sport!" Fascinated by wrestling, I started attending a kids' wrestling class at a nearby martial arts gym. As I practiced hard, I found joy in successfully executing techniques and gradually became stronger.

From then on, I consistently ranked among the top wrestlers in the country, but I hadn't yet set a clear goal for the future. I started seriously aiming for the Olympics when I was scouted by the JOC Elite Academy, a program that develops athletes to compete in international competitions. My first wrestling coach was an Olympian, which made me feel that wrestling was my destiny.

Since then, I have been living at the National Training Center, where Olympic athletes train, and have devoted myself to wrestling.

In the world of wrestling, athletes with a career like mine often go to universities with strong wrestling programs on scholarships. However, I was undecided about my future path because I also loved studying, earning straight A's in high school. Of course, my primary desire was to compete in the Olympics, but I also wanted to forge a new path for myself beyond wrestling. I was looking for something I could be passionate about for a second career after wrestling, which is why I was interested in SFC, with its wide range of research fields. However, enrolling at SFC meant I would have to find suitable training partners and facilities on my own, carving out my own path to the Olympics. I knew it would be a difficult journey to the Olympics, but my desire to expand my potential at SFC never wavered. I was hesitant until the very end, but I believed in myself, thinking, "I can do this," and made my decision.

No one expected me to choose SFC, so when my admission was confirmed, it sent ripples of surprise through the wrestling community. My parents, however, supported my decision.

Since enrolling, I have worked hard to balance wrestling and my studies. My days have been hectic, with training in the morning and evening, university classes, and homework after returning home. But I believe I have achieved results in my own way, such as winning gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.

Before joining a research lab, I took various classes, mainly focusing on sports and psychology. Currently, I am conducting research on Islamic culture as part of the "Muslim Coexistence Project" in Professor Yo Nonaka's lab. It was wrestling, once again, that sparked my interest in Islamic culture.

I often travel abroad for wrestling competitions. Iran, in particular, is a wrestling powerhouse, and I learn a great deal from their style of wrestling. At the same time, I encountered a culture completely different from Japan's, seeing them pray and observing their dietary habits, which made me wonder, "What is Islam?" So, I decided to start by learning about Islam from Professor Nonaka. I think one of the great attractions of SFC is that when you become curious and want to learn about something, there are actual classes you can take. What's more, you can even take Arabic, which makes it a truly unique university, in my opinion. I am the most surprised of all that I ended up studying Islam. I realize now that this would not have been possible if I had gone to another university, and it makes me appreciate the breadth of opportunities at SFC.

My goal is to win a gold medal at the Olympics. I've heard that no Keio student has ever won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling. It would be incredibly cool to become Keio's first Olympic wrestling gold medalist. That's why I hope to compete in the Paris 2024 Olympics as a Keio student. (This interview was conducted in mid-December 2023. Subsequently, Ozaki won the 2023 Emperor's Cup All-Japan Championships and secured her ticket to the Paris Olympics by winning the Olympic representative playoff in January 2024).

And looking a little further into the future, I want to become a bridge to the Muslim world. In the Islamic world, wrestlers are all men. Women are likely unable to participate due to the form-fitting uniforms. However, I've heard there is a form of wrestling with special rules just for Muslims, in which women also compete. In the future, after deepening my understanding of Muslims at SFC, I would like to delve into the situation of female Muslim wrestlers and hear their stories. And I want to explore how I can contribute.