Between May 3rd and 6th, marathon runner Mari TANIGAWA (AAR JAPAN Executive Board Member and Ambassador for the Demining Campaign) visited areas in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures affected by the March 11th earthquake to help at local soup kitchens and deliver relief supplies.
With the hope of bringing cheer to the evacuees through sporting activities, Tanigawa presented a lecture and stretching class at Higashihama Elementary School, as well as a mid-distance running class at the Oshika Peninsula Evacuation Center, both of which are located in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
Smiles and Energy Unleashed through Sports
On May 5th (Children’s Day in Japan), Tanigawa led stretching, jogging, long-distance relay and mid-distance running classes at the Seiyukan Healthcare and Welfare Center on the Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture.
The Seiyukan Center was used as an evacuation center for approximately 450 people immediately after the earthquake, but now it is occupied by 140 people, including persons with disabilities who were former residents of the institution, staff from local government offices, and other evacuees.
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May 5th - Children struggling to keep up with Tanigawa’s pace. |
Realizing that the evacuees did not have many chances to exercise while living in the evacuation center, Tanigawa proposed a variety of fun activities. Thanks to the cooperation of Mr. Azumi Eiichi, chief of the local government office and its staff, people of all ages, from a 4-year old boy to a 76-year old woman, were able to participate in the events.
Tanigawa started with stretching exercises. Though we could already see people desperately struggling to keep up with her movements, we couldn’t help but laugh along with the evacuees as they refused to give up. “I got tired because it’s been ages since I’ve been active,” a 50-year old male participant told us, though he seemed to be brimming with energy.
After Tanigawa offered instruction on running techniques, correct eye position and respiration methods, everyone jogged around the Seiyukan center. After each 500-meter lap, people began to drop out one-by-one, but the determined expressions of the children desperately trying to keep up with Tanigawa made a powerful impression on us.
Kids’ Unbeatable Energy Leaves Adults Behind
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| April 5th – In the front row, three kids who joined in the mid-distance run (Left to right: Kaito, Ryoki and Mizuho). Mari TANIGAWA is second from right in the back. |
Next, a relay was run between two teams. The event included amusing episodes, such as a competitor stopping and waiting while a 4-year old boy on the opposing team retrieved a shoe that had slipped off his foot.
Last but not least was the mid-distance run. Mizuho SATO (2nd year junior high), Ryoki NARITA (1st year junior high) and Kaito MURAKAMI (6th year elementary school) joined Tanigawa on a 20-minute course near the beach. The three kids showed no sign of fatigue, and seemed to want to keep running even after having run for more than an hour already.
Finally, we organized a relay race between children and adults, including two AAR JAPAN staff members, with the result that the kids’ team won. Mizuho told us it was fun, while Ryoki said, “It was nice having the chance to run with Ms. Tanigawa” and Kaito commented simply, “It was pretty tough.”
Tanigawa was impressed by the kids’ tenacity and energy. She told them, “Keep up your running, and have fun doing long-distance relays with everyone,” to which the kids nodded shyly in response.
Throughout the day, we were able to see the participants raising their voices and having fun being active. I was happy to be able to ease the mental and physical stress suffered by people living in the complicated environment of an evacuation center. This kind of event shows that, even though material support is undoubtedly important, keeping the body and mind healthy through activity is also a vital concern.
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Junko MITO Tokyo HQ, Publicity and Supporter Services Department AAR JAPAN staff since 2010. From Okayama Prefecture. |
HELP EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS STAND UP ON THEIR FEET
