Well it’s official, after one day of competition, we are in Japan. A few months ago, Jackie and I recieved confirmation that we would be participating in the Kakehashi Project. (Kakehashi means “bridge for tomorrow”) This project is to create friendships between Canada and Japan as well as learn about Japan’s economy, society, history, culture, politics, diplomatic relations and of course the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. Sharing what we learned to fellow Canadians and friends around the world!
We will be in Japan for about 8 days with 7 other athletes from Canada! They represent synchronized/artistic swimming, archery, sailing, canoe, skateboarding, taiquando, gymnastics and fencing. The group will be attending lectures, talking to university students, experiencing the culture of Japan and finding ways to share our experiences with the rest of Canada (and the World) upon our return.
We will also will be travelling to Kyoto, where we will be staying with a Japanese family and surely visiting some of their famous temples and, as we just found out, we will also be learning the art of meditation, as it is very important for athletes to know how to concentrate properly!
It is sure to be a busy, yet exciting trip for us! I look forward to sharing the trip with you and documenting all of the interesting experiences we will have these next few days!
Claudia
Claudia Holzner 