IPC & WOWOW documentary series focusing on the world's top para-athletes to be broadcast and streamed in December

On October 24th, the lineup for the new season (four episodes) of "WHO I AM Paralympics," a documentary jointly produced by the IPC (International Paralympic Committee) and WOWOW that follows the world's top para-athletes, was announced. The new season will be broadcast and distributed in December, and all episodes can be viewed for free.

The series will feature all Japanese athletes who have appeared in the "WHO I AM" series so far who participated in the Paris 2024 Paralympics, and will deliver a completely new story as the "Paris Paralympics Complete Edition," including behind-the-scenes coverage of their long-awaited medal wins.

The lineup includes Yui Kamiji, who won a double crown in women's wheelchair tennis singles and doubles at the Paris Paralympics, and Keiichi Kimura, who won two gold medals in swimming freestyle and butterfly. In addition, Tomoya Ito, the oldest member of the Japanese national team who won a bronze medal in the 400 meters, and Kaito Oda, the youngest player in wheelchair tennis history to win a gold medal, will also be joining the lineup. The narrator will be actor Nishijima Hidetoshi, who has been the narrator since the series began.

The program schedule is as follows (all broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand): December 7th, 11am - Uechi, December 14th, 11am - Kimura, December 21st, 11am - Ito, December 28th, 11am - Oda.

The full comments from Uechi, Kimura, Ito and Oda are as follows.

◇Uechi Yui

--What are your goals and resolutions for the new year?

First up in the new year is the Australian Open title, which has been a long time coming, and I would like to prepare so that I can play well, including in the preliminary matches.

--What would you like people to pay attention to in this production?

I can be stubborn at times, but I also have a desire to try various things, and especially over the past three years I have been told that I have taken action, such as drastically changing my environment and changing my perspective from things I was familiar with. I think that both in terms of play and gear, these aspects have created a new Yui Kamiji, so I hope you will take a look.

--Please tell us your impressions and messages of the other members.

Kimura spoke to me when I returned to Japan after the Paris Games. Until now, Kimura was the one who was synonymous with gold medalists, but he said, "I'm glad for you, I watched too," so I feel like I've finally been able to stand on the same level as him. He's also a great talker and very interesting, so I always look forward to meeting him. Ito is a legend, and I think he has a strong determination to do his best here. In the athletes' village, special editions of medal winners were posted every day, and when Ito won, a crowd would gather. I think it's really amazing that she continued competing until that age, participated in the Paralympics, and even won a medal. Since Oda is in the same sport, I've been able to watch her up close, and I think she's a type of player that hasn't been seen before, who shows a new image of a wheelchair tennis player to Japan and the world. I'm always amazed at what she'll do next.

◇Kimura Keiichi

Looking back on this year, what kind of year was it?

It was busy. My daughter was born, the Paralympics were there, and so many big things happened.

What are your goals and resolutions for the new year?

I want to make this a year that is slow, calm, and peaceful.

What would you like people to pay attention to through this work?

I hope it will be conveyed that the Tokyo Paralympics are not the end goal.

Please give us your impressions and messages about the other members.

Uechi and I have both competed in the Paralympics since we were children, so I was really happy to finally win this time. I think Ito is showing us the potential of humanity by showing us how far he will continue to fight. It's scary to think how strong Oda will become.

◇Ito Tomoya

Looking back on this year, what kind of year was it?

Looking back on this year, I think my life started to move a little from when I received a call from the IPC in April and heard that I would be classified in June. Then, when I was put back into my original class, T52, time that had stopped for me started to move again. I was able to race in Paris, and cross the finish line with the great rivals who had been on the starting line with me until now, so I think it was an ideal year for me.

What are your goals and resolutions for the new year?

I'm at an age where I need to be careful about my health, so I think it's important to accumulate small things every day. I want to look forward with an unchanging attitude.

What do you want people to pay attention to through this work?

I think the three years we've endured since the Tokyo Games, and the three years of everyone who supported us, were unspoken efforts. I hope the day will come when we can all rejoice together again in the results that we've all created together.

◇Oda Kaito

Looking back on this year, what kind of year was it? The Paralympics left the strongest impression on me. I won the Australian Open and the French Open, but couldn't win Wimbledon, and then won Paris again. Wimbledon was a very formal time, so I'm glad it was the way it was.

--What are your goals and resolutions for the new year?

Next year I want to win the Australian Open. And then I want to win the US Open, which is the only one I haven't won yet.

--What do you want people to pay attention to through this film?

I think Paris was the peak of this year, so I want people to see how I worked towards that. And after watching it, I want them to wonder what will happen from here.

--What are your impressions and messages of the other members?

I saw Uechi win in Paris, but it was before my matches in both singles and doubles. Uechi won a medal and I stepped onto the court, and I thought, I'm going to win too! I got really excited. It was definitely my rivalry with Dida from the Netherlands and the big comeback in Paris. I think this is his first victory in several years, but I think it's simply amazing, and I hope he continues to stay at the top. I first met Kimura at a WOWOW event. He's good friends with Sanada, and they often talked, so I joined in and chatted with him. I thought he was a very straightforward athlete when it came to the sport. I think it's great that he's been able to win so many medals, and it's really cool.