The Last Day of Her Competitive Career, and the Future
The milestone tournament took place in Tokyo in 2021. The result
was a bronze medal.
“My last international tournament was
hosted by my home country, so the expectations and support from
those around me felt stronger than usual. I think I was feeling
pressure on a level that I could not fathom. I could hardly
sleep two whole days before the qualifying round.”
In a
darkened hotel room, Noguchi panicked and struggled alone. This
was the first time in her athletic career that she had been this
nervous. Despite the heaviness of her body, she cleared the
qualifiers. Relieved, she was able to sleep soundly at last. Two
days later, it was the finals. What was the final day of her
athletic career like?
“I spent the day reflecting that each
and everything was happening for the last time. The most
memorable moment of the day was when I won the medal. When I was
done with my turn and as I waited for the results to come in, I
looked back on the challenges and was full of regrets thinking I
could have climbed more or I should have done that. Woulda,
coulda, shoulda. This is still lingering, even now, a few days
after the tournament. So being in such mindset, it caught me by
surprise when I found out my ranking.”
Frustrated that she
could have done more, relieved that she won a medal, overwhelmed
with sadness that her competitive career was coming to an
end—all emotions came overflowing, she said, and tears followed
suit.
“Another memorable moment was when I returned to the
hotel and my coach and team were waiting for me. I had been
feeling awful because we had been striving for the gold medal
all this time. I was worried that it was going to be an awkward
moment. But seeing everyone happy and being reassured that ‘it’s
not the color of the medal that matters,’ I felt a sense of
relief.”
It was three days after the tournament that she was able to see
her family.
“I wanted to put the medal around my father’s
neck, so I had snuck it into my pocket on the road home. My
mother sobbed when she saw I put it around his neck, and my
father looked tickled pink. That evening, my father noted that
‘Akiyo’s first world competition was at 16 and she came in 3rd
place. You began and ended in the same color.’ I thought this
was something only my father, who had watched me from day 1 of
my competitive career, could notice.”
A passage from Akiyo Noguchi’s autobiography, Me and Climbing,
reads as follows:
When I started competing in the World
Cup, I carried so many responsibilities. For example, if I don’t
compete, no one from Japan would participate, I have to spread
the word about climbing. But now, I am no longer concerned about
pulling out of the competition, not one bit. I have observed the
strength and high awareness of the young athletes through
competing in Japan and abroad. Many will be able to responsibly
lead and bring the climbing scene in Japan to new heights.
The baton has been passed on to the next generation. And even
though Akiyo Noguchi will no longer be competing, her challenge
is not yet over:
“My passion and feelings for climbing have
gotten stronger. There is so much I want to do—promoting the
climbing scene, learning how to coach, and challenges on
boulders outdoors.”
Unwavering, she will continue to look
up at the wall.
“The wall carries all of the answers to
what I have done in the past. What to pursue and master, and the
feeling to strive for. What kind of results do I want to make,
and when. Everyone finds answers by facing and looking up at the
wall—this is the same for everyone.”
