Runners young and old were practically leaping as they sped around an indoor field, all of them wearing prosthetic legs made for competition.
The Shintoyosu Brillia Running Stadium in Koto Ward, Tokyo, has a facility that rents out prosthetic legs for use in competitive sports.
The facility, called Blade Library, opened in October in the hope that everyone can feel the joy of running. Ken Endo, chief executive officer of the prosthetic leg developer Xiborg Co., took the initiative in raising funds online. The facility has more than 20 types of racing prosthetics.
These are lighter and easier to run in than the artificial legs used in everyday life. They are also more expensive, costing several hundred thousand yen each. At the facility, however, all people have to do is pay a 500 yen rental fee plus a facility charge. Reservations are required.
Running lessons are held once a month. Before class, participants are fitted with the equipment that best suits their disability by staff who perform adjustments. One such staffer is Atsuo Okino, 39, a prosthetist who is a founding member of the facility.
Thirteen people took part in a class held by Okino on Dec. 17. After some warmup calisthenics, Okino instructed them in making initial spurts, running techniques and other areas.
Hiiro Fukuda, a 9-year-old from Nerima Ward who came with her parents, said, "It felt great to run like I was leaping. I want to get better and beat my personal best."
"We want people who think the Paralympics are just something you see on television to actually run -- they'll definitely enjoy it. I hope a lot of people will give it a try," Okino said.
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