In July, Osako was focused on training in Flagstaff, Arizona. One day, after his morning routine, he relaxed a little and decided to go for a drive in his car. After about ten minutes, he returned back to his place with competitive swimmer, Daiya Seto. Osako heard a rumor that Seto was also training in Flagstaff and invited Seto to his home.
Seto said, “I have so many questions for you and I was looking forward to seeing you today.” They settled comfortably into the dining room table, sitting across from each other. As soon as they sat down, Seto started asking a series of questions: “How do you feel running in Yunomaru in Nagano prefecture as compared to running in Flagstaff?” “Do you feel the difference when the elevation varies by 100m?” “What’s your yearly schedule like?” “It’s humid in Japan and dry here. Do you feel one or the other makes you stronger?” “You don’t have a trainer while you are here and your coach helps you remotely. Aren’t you afraid of injury?” Seto kept asking one question after another.
Although Osako usually keeps the content of his training private and doesn’t talk much about it, he answered Seto’s questions carefully, one by one. There were also questions from Osako to Seto, and their conversation turned into a deep and detailed discussion that only athletes would be able to understand.
They seemed to enjoy their conversation. Seto is working hard to be stronger, and exuded a determination to grow even while he was talking with Osako. Osako was calm and collected as usual, and seemed to enjoy being inspired by Seto while he conveyed his own perspective. A short film documenting this valuable conversation between Osako and Seto in Flagstaff will be released soon. Regardless of whether you are a runner, a swimmer, or something else all together, watching this film will surely make you feel that you too can be a little stronger.
文章：足立公平
写真：松本昇大