Competitive swimmer Ikee Rikako, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, made a video appearance on TV Asahi network's "News Station" on Wednesday.
"Paris is my No. 1 goal right now," said Ikee, 19, referring to the summer Olympic Games in 2024. "Even if I can't go to Paris, there will be the next [Olympic Games]," she said, showing a strong determination to return to competition.
It was Ikee's first TV appearance since she announced her illness in February last year. She has already resumed light training. "Sometimes I dream about swimming and am surprised that my time is quite fast. It's only a dream, though," she said, smiling.
"I wanted to die when I felt most tired," Ikee said about the hardships she went through after being diagnosed with her illness. "I thought, 'I should never ever think like that,' because I was really happy when I was able to leave the hospital temporarily," she added.
"It's a miracle to be here. Life is a miracle," Ikee said.
In a message to TV viewers, she said, "I want to tell people who are suffering from sickness, 'You'll be fine, too.'"
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