Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is pleased to announce that blind marathoner and Paralympic athlete Yuichi Takahashi has joined the staff at its Tokyo headquarters.

 

Takahashi, formerly employed to IT Frontier (now Tata Consultancy Services Japan), is well known for his successes in international long-distance competitions. In May 2004, he clocked a world-record time of 2 hours, 37 minutes and 43 seconds at the Kasumigaura International Blind Marathon in Ibaraki, Japan, and went on to capture a gold medal in the men’s marathon at the Paralympic Games in Athens later that year.

 

Takahashi also dedicates much of his time to social contribution activities. He is currently a goodwill ambassador for MC’s “DREAM AS ONE.” project, which was launched in October 2014 to help raise awareness about and promote understanding of para-sports.

 

At MC, Takahashi will focus mainly on assisting the company with its efforts in support of para-sports, including participating in events and delivering lectures in his capacity as goodwill ambassador, while at the same time continuing to pursue his passion for participating in international competitions.

 

Takahashi says he is “delighted to become a member of staff at a company that supports para-sports.” “With everyone’s backing,” he adds, “I intend to take on even more challenges going forward.”

 

Working together with Takahashi, MC remains committed in its efforts to help raise the profile of para-sports.

1.     Date of Birth:      June 12, 1965

2.     Birthplace:          Yokote, Akita Prefecture, Japan

3.     Main Events:      Marathons; long-distance running

4.     Competition Record (Takashi started training as a competitive marathoner in 1999):

Date	Competition	Venue	Remarks
February 2003	51st National Katsuta Marathon	Hitachinaka, Ibaraki, Japan	Breaks national full marathon record
March 2003	7th Itabashi City Marathon	Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan	Breaks own national record
April 2004	Kasumigaura International Blind Marathon	Kasumigaura/Tsuchiura, Ibaraki, Japan	Sets world record of 2 hours, 37 minutes and 34 seconds
September 2004	Paralympics	Athens, Greece	Wins gold medal in men’s marathon (T11 Category¹)
September 2006	4th IPC Athletics World Championships	Assen, Netherlands	Finishes 1st in men’s marathon (T11 category)
August 2008	Paralympic Games	Beijing, China	Finishes 16th in men’s marathon (Visually Impaired Division)
August 2012	Paralympic Games	London, UK	Finishes 7th in men’s marathon (Visually Impaired Division)
July 2013	6th IPC Athletics World Championships	Lyon, France	Competes in men’s marathon (Visually Impaired Division)

 

Takahashi plans to continue competing as a marathoner in national and international competitions.