Source:
https://weibo.com/1580373983/C6fI4e4fF
https://card.weibo.com/article/h5/s#cid=1001603814892892251330
(Continued in the physical magazine)
How experiencing the hardships of the disaster changed his feelings about skating
As Hanyu looked back on the World Championships, he repeatedly expressed the same sentiment.
“I was supported by others.” “I received strength from them.” He said these words over and over with deep, heartfelt sincerity.
Hanyu says that something significant has changed within him over the past year.
“The earthquake changed me. Going through that experience changed my heart."
On March 11, Hanyu was training at his home rink in Sendai when the massive tremors struck. Unable to remain standing, he had to crawl his way out of the rink. From that day on, Hanyu and his family were forced to live in an evacuation center for a period of time. He recalls his state of mind that day as follows:
“It was painful, and I was sad. The pain stemmed from my own situation, my family, and our daily life. The sadness was for the town itself. I think that’s the most accurate way to describe it."
The power was out, and the television wasn't working. On the day of the disaster, Hanyu had no way of knowing the full extent of the situation; it wasn't until the following day, when a morning newspaper arrived at the evacuation center, that he learned what had happened.
“When I saw the photos of the tsunami and the disaster-stricken areas, an overwhelming sense of sadness washed over me. I couldn’t think about skating at all, and even if I had, I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it.”
Despite the severe circumstances, he was able to start skating again about ten days later.
“Various coaches reached out to me, saying, ‘The rink over here is available, so you can come and skate.’ Things were far from settled, but once there was some semblance of stability for my family, I headed to a rink in the Yokohama area where a coach who had taught me before was based.”
Resuming skating was something he had been eagerly looking forward to. But when he actually stepped onto the ice, he was overcome by emotions he had never expected.
<Why am I skating? Why am I jumping when everyone is suffering? Why am I doing spins and skating around?>
"I had been so excited to get back on the ice, but once I did, it wasn't fun at all. I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing. That period was the most painful time for me."
It was not until early April that his inner conflict began to subside.
He was invited to a charity show in Kobe organized by Daisuke Takahashi, Kenji Miyamoto, and others. It was the first time since the earthquake that he had performed in front of an audience. Hanyu also took part in the encore and gave a speech, and everyone welcomed him warmly.
Having found the strength to look ahead, Hanyu went on to perform in one show after another. Among them was a charity performance at Niida Rink in Hachinohe at the end of July, where people living in evacuation shelters had been invited to attend. It was what happened at the finale.
All the skaters had left the ice, and the show was over. Yet, sensing the audience’s reluctance to leave, Hanyu appeared on the ice alone. Without any prior preparation, he executed a quadruple jump and landed it perfectly. He then gave a wave and headed off toward the backstage area.
“I had really wanted to include a quadruple jump in my program, but I couldn’t fit one in. I felt frustrated that, even though people from the evacuation shelters had gone out of their way to come and watch, I hadn’t been able to give a full performance. A quadruple jump is also the biggest challenge for me personally, so I wanted the people watching to see that if you take on a challenge, you can do it, and to convey that spirit of looking forward.”
Ultimately, he ended up performing in around 60 ice shows.
"Part of the reason was wanting as many people as possible to see my skating, but it was also due to the lack of a proper training environment."
His home rink in Sendai had been damaged and remained unusable until the summer. As a result, he performed in shows and arranged to arrive at the venues early, allowing him to secure some ice time, even if only for a short while, and devote himself to training. The constant travel was not easy, but despite the lack of a proper training environment, he continued preparing for the start of the season.
"For the sake of the disaster-stricken areas"—this was a sentiment Hanyu expressed at every one of his shows. Yet, whenever he was featured in the media, he was almost invariably labeled as someone "affected by the disaster" or "carrying the burden of the disaster-stricken regions." At times, this also cast a shadow over his heart.
“Toward the end of the summer, as the start of the season approached, honestly, I didn’t like it. I wanted to be seen as a skater in my own right, not as a skater representing disaster victims. I had worked so hard as a skater, so there was a period when I felt a little frustrated whenever the word ‘disaster victim’ came up in news reports before competitions.”
He says that, in time, he was able to come to terms with those feelings.
“I suppose it was around the end of the year. These days, I’m actually rather happy to be called a representative of disaster victims. If hearing the name Yuzuru Hanyu brings the earthquake to mind, then the disaster won’t be forgotten. I feel that all the effort I’ve put in to get this far was worthwhile, and that perhaps there is a reason for me to be alive.”
I’m not the one supporting others. I’m the one being supported
At some point, the nuance of Hanyu’s words about the disaster-stricken areas began to change. Instead of saying he was doing things “for the sake of the disaster-stricken areas,” he began to speak of “receiving strength from the disaster-stricken areas.”
“After the All-Japan Championships, I had some time, so I was able to go through the fan letters I had received. As I read them, I realized that there were people supporting me in what I was trying to convey, and that it was thanks to their support that I could convey what I wanted to. I realized that I wasn’t the one supporting others. I was the one being supported.”
After finishing the letters, he wrote a reply to each of the approximately 500 letters, putting those feelings into every response.
"This past year has truly been one in which I’ve reflected on many different things. Up until now, I had been chasing a childhood dream—perhaps 'naively' isn't the right word, but I had been pushing forward with total, single-minded devotion. Now, however, I realize that I am in a position where people are cheering me on and offering their support. I feel a responsibility to embrace that and keep doing my best."
He went on to say that the changes he experienced after the earthquake had also “affected the expressive side” of his skating.
"I experienced hardship, but amidst that, there were also moments of joy and happiness. By experiencing such a wide range of emotions, my capacity for feeling has expanded—or perhaps, deepened. When I skated in front of an audience in Kobe for the first time, the ceiling for how much joy I could feel was higher than ever before. And because I had experienced so many different feelings, I felt that I needed to express more through my skating. I believe that has really come through in my performances."
He experienced the earthquake and, through it all, felt joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness more deeply. This helped Hanyu grow tremendously, both as a person and as a skater. Or rather, it was precisely because he possessed the inherent sensitivity and character to internalize such experiences that he was able to grow.
Following a season in which he gained international recognition and established himself as one of the world’s top skaters, Hanyu described his vision for the kind of skater he aspires to become:
"I want to be a skater who can do everything. When I say that, people often ask what my specific strength is, but I want my strength to be that I am excellent at everything. If I can achieve that, I believe I’ll be a skater who is truly unbeatable. That said, my fundamental skating skills are currently too weak, so that is where I need to focus my efforts first. As for artistic expression, I’ve largely developed my own personal style, but I want to study properly, drawing from disciplines like ballet and dance."
To grow into the skater he aspired to be, Hanyu made a major decision. He decided to part ways with Nanami Abe, the coach who had trained him for many years.
His new coach is Brian Orser, who previously coached Yuna Kim and, in the previous season, had coached Javier Fernández, who made significant strides that year. The decision to choose Orser was prompted by an article in a specialized magazine. It featured the Cricket Club in Toronto, Canada, where Orser served as a head coach. It is a prestigious club with many coaches on staff, each specializing in different aspects of training.
“Until then, I’d never trained while watching so many different skaters, and after learning about the club and its environment, I wanted to try skating in that kind of setting. I was also thinking about the Sochi Olympics two years away. I was sad to leave Coach Nanami, but we talked it over, and she gladly encouraged me to take this step. That makes me feel even more strongly that I have to work hard. I believe that learning what I’m looking for properly and putting it to use in my skating is how I can repay Coach Nanami and her family, as well as the many people who have supported me.”
With this in mind, Yuzuru Hanyu vowed to continue growing as a skater. Looking ahead to the Sochi Olympics, which awaited him in the future, he held onto a big dream.
By
yuzurujenn ·
