Japanese Paralympian poses nude to raise money for London 2012
Posted by Tom Megginson | 7-06-2012 21:35 | Category: Ableism, Sport
(Image via esporte)
Maya Nakanishi is a Japanese runner who has used a prosthetic right leg since her original was crushed, at age 21, by a five-ton steel frame that collapsed on her at work in a paint shop. Two years later, she was competing in the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Now, she wants to compete in London. But according to a statement, Nakanishi said she was unable to compete in the 2011 world championships due to a lack of financial resources, despite being a Japanese medal chance. (She also needs a new racing leg.)
So she took her clothes off and made a calendar.
Ms. Nakanishi told NDTV Sports, “I don’t regret having become nude. I’m very happy that I was able to show Maya Nakanishi as I am.”
What she is, is a beautiful person with an elite athlete’s finely-tuned physique, as well as a great poster child for strength following tragedy. But what does it say about Japan that one of their medal contenders has to fund her own way to London? And what does it say about our world that we are only interested in her story when she shows some skin?
The calendar is available at Amazon Japan.
Source:
Buzzfeed
