Encounter with para-athletics after a traffic accident

In 2016, when he was a second-year university student and had been seriously thinking about becoming a race car driver, he was involved in a motorcycle accident and had his right leg amputated below the knee. Since then, he has been using a prosthetic leg.

“After I was released from the hospital and started attending university, it became very clear to me that I was disabled…I couldn’t accept myself that way and I became very depressed.”

At that time, her mother remembered a newspaper article about a running team of people with prosthetic legs in Mie Prefecture and went to see it. “Everyone, from children to elderly people, were running around with great energy. I had assumed that because they were disabled they would be lacking in energy, but I was wrong. Everyone was super energetic and smiling a lot.”

When he realized it, he was running too.

“It had been several months since I last kicked the ground and ran, and it was honestly fun and felt great. The idea that it was a disability was so small seemed insignificant to me, and all my negative feelings disappeared. That was my first encounter with track and field.”

Her mother is happy when she smiles, and her friends are happy when they see her running with a prosthetic leg.
“Well, if I compete in the Paralympics, everyone will be even happier.”
At this time, Itani had a dream.
“Just like a young baseball player wants to become a major leaguer, I wanted to enter the Tokyo Paralympics.”

Chasing the dream of the Tokyo Paralympics

“I truly felt that running was fun. The first person to reach the finish line is the winner – it’s simple and easy to understand, and that’s what makes it appealing.”
In 2018, he began training under trainer Ken Nakata and began full-scale training in sprinting. He quickly showed his potential and advanced to the finals at the World Para Athletics Championships held in Dubai in November 2019.

“When you steadily work on small things and finally get that good time, you feel a great sense of accomplishment.”

But then the situation changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Practices were basically done alone, which backfired for Itani.
“If I keep going like this, I’ll be able to compete in the Paralympics,” he thought, and was too easy on himself. Without even realizing it, he started to neglect his training. He also neglected to report his training and share his schedule with his trainer, Nakata.

Trainer Nakata scolded him, saying, “You’ve gotten too cocky. You’ve lost sight of yourself. You say you’re trying your best, but you’re just being satisfied with yourself.” But even though he was harsh, it didn’t have any impact on me at the time. And yet, as the selection period for the Tokyo Paralympics approached, my anxiety and impatience grew.

It was a dream he pursued out of a desire to “make everyone happy,” but he was overtaken by his rival and missed out on competing in the Tokyo Paralympics.