Para Sailor Spotlight - Q&A with Yoko Sone

As the Championships draw closer, Sone reflects on her career so far and looks ahead to the future of Para Sailing and the chance for Japan to realise its promise to promote diversity and inclusion through sports and empower people with disabilities.

Injured in a car accident while in second grade of elementary school (second year of primary school), Sone has been in a wheelchair ever since.

Her introduction to sailing came completely by chance on an overseas trip and she went on to represent Japan at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games as part of the Mixed Three Person Sonar crew.

Now, she is supporting the growth of Para Sailing in Japan and World Sailing’s #BacktheBid campaign to help more people with disabilities to discover sailing, while training hard in the Hansa 303 at her club Sailability Hiroshima for the World Championships.

How did you first encounter sailing?

I was in San Francisco on an overseas trip at Pier No 1 back in 1999 when I saw a yacht race for large cruisers. I was very close to the yacht as it tacked right up against the shore. When I saw it change direction, I thought it was thrilling, cool and fun – that’s when I decided to go back to Japan and try sailing.

Tell us what happened next! 

A little before the San Francisco trip, my mother had sent me newspaper clippings because I had been doing various sports – there was an article saying it was possible to sail with a disability and there was a place that could teach me how to do it.

So as soon as I got home from San Francisco I started looking into Para Sailing.

I was still in Kansai (southern-central region of Japan’s main island Honshü) in Shiga Prefecture, home to Lake Biwa – the largest freshwater lake in Japan. I happened to know there was a group who had started a project called ‘Why don’t we have yacht sailing for people with disabilities on Lake Biwa?’, so I went to see them.

This is where I quickly found out that sailing is very different in terms of being inclusive – the sport is open to everyone, with Para Sailors and able-bodied sailors sharing exceptional experiences all together.

That said, I do still love the moment when I beat the able-bodied sailors!

How did you qualify for the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games team?

Many people helped me to get into the boats right from the very beginning of me trying Para Sailing – especially Dr Nagamatsu, who I feel was the key to my sailing really taking off.

He was a cruiser sailor on Lake Biwa and he supported me for no other reason than to help. He got me in and out of the boats countless times. I would not be here as a Paralympic athlete if I had not met him.

So I started sailing as a member of the club near Lake Biwa as a complete beginner and soon I began thinking it would be interesting to compete in high-level races. I participated in many races on Lake Biwa with each race different in terms of fun. I wanted to do it more and more, so I went on to compete in World Championships and other events to secure my national status.

What does the 2022 Hansa Class Asia Pacific Championships and Para World Sailing Championships Hansa Class mean for Para Sailing in Japan? 

I think it is very important for the Japanese people to see that Para Sailors and able-bodied sailors can both enjoy the sport.

By hosting these Championships, Japan is showing that sailing is a really inclusive sport. Before sailing, I tried wheelchair basketball and wheelchair skiing but they are very different – in sailing we all sail together in the same water and on the same boats.

This will be the first time a World Para Championships has been held simultaneously in Japan with an able-bodied World Championship – exciting times!

This is also very important for us because Para Sailing in Asia was not popular when I started – now the sport is growing year after year in the region and Japan will be the proud host. We can show the world that Asia has great venues and opportunities for Para Sailing and it will encourage other Asian nations to start Para Sailing programmes.

How important is the reinstatement of Para Sailing at the Paralympic Games?

I had the opportunity to compete at the Paralympic Games once and it was a totally different experience to any World Championship or other large scale event.

The Games are very special – so meaningful and valuable. If you like racing as much as I do, the Paralympic Games is the perfect event to aim for, to reach higher and improve skills.

I want everyone to experience sailing at the Paralympic Games!