First, please tell us about your job as an "athletic trainer". What is it like?

My job involves managing the health, physical training, and conditioning of athletes so that they can perform at their best. Our first priority is to protect the lives of athletes, and we also provide first aid and athletic rehabilitation.

Does that mean it is a national qualification?

It's an American national qualification. In the United States, a country where sports are very popular, the position of athletic trainers is highly regarded. This is achieved by studying abroad at a four-year university (currently, graduate school graduation is required), completing an internship, and then taking a national exam.

After studying abroad, I will become a trainer for the Japanese women's rugby sevens team, but how will I become a trainer?

Originally, when I was working as an athletic trainer in the United States, I thought, ``I want to be involved in women's rugby when I return to Japan.'' So, my boss in America was working as a trainer for the U.S. national rugby sevens team, and at that time, I found out that rugby sevens would become an official sport at the Rio Olympics, so I thought, ``Let's meet again in Rio,'' so I decided, ``When I go back to Japan, I'll become a trainer for the Japanese national team,'' and I returned to Japan in 2011. Then, there was a job posting for a trainer, so I applied...

amazing. This came true soon after returning to Japan. How was the selection process done?

One by one, we were called to a training camp and there was a screening process similar to a practical interview.

What kind of people are you currently in charge of as a trainer?

I'm still involved with the Japan women's rugby team, and I'm also an individual jiu-jitsu player and powerlifter. You work with athletes from a variety of sports. At first, I watched it for both men and women, but now I only watch it for female athletes to focus on my strengths. I'm working hard to have people say, ``When it comes to supporting female athletes, Hirai comes to mind.''

Currently, while working as a trainer, you also run a company that trains and dispatches female trainers. What was the process behind starting the company?

After having a child, I found it difficult to go out into the field as a trainer, and when I thought about how I could contribute to society, I decided to start a corporation in 2022 that trains and dispatches trainers, thinking that I would like to increase the number of people I can work with rather than working alone.
Sports trainers are often thought of on a volunteer basis. However, if that were the case, the trainers wouldn't be able to make a living, so we chose to form a corporation rather than a general incorporated association so that the trainers could spread the word about it as a ``professional job that they get paid to do.''

What kind of place will you be dispatched to?

Some are individuals, while others are groups such as sports teams. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of staff dispatched to provide childcare services that incorporate unique exercise programs at sporting event venues.

This service is really good. Not only is it a blessing for the audience, but also for the organizers, it's a great way to attract people who are raising children, and it's also a great way to foster future fans.

Also, players and venue staff can leave their children with them. I hope that customers, players, and staff will no longer feel like they can't do it because they have small children.

As a manager and a trainer, I believe you do a variety of tasks, but what percentage of each job do you do?

Ideally, I would like to be more active as a manager (lol), but currently it's a 50-50 split. In addition to teaching training, I am often invited to give lectures, and I also work as a part-time lecturer at a university, so I still have to do a lot of work on my own.

Even part-time lecturers! What theme will the lecture be on?

I often speak to students at vocational schools and universities about things like ``For women to work in the sports world,'' and I often give talks at symposiums and seminars about ``the knowledge and skills needed to support female athletes,'' such as menstruation and postpartum recovery support.

I think you must be quite busy working, giving lectures and giving lectures, but how about supporting your husband with housework and childcare?

My husband is good at cooking, doing laundry, and cleaning, and since he mostly works remotely, he's always happy to work with me even when I have to work late at night. It seems to be difficult to get the child to sleep because the child seems to say, ``Mommy is good'' (lol)

This time, you brought a memento of your time with your child. Is it okay if I show it to you?

This one! My daughter (5 years old) drew it for me. My daughter loves drawing and draws something every day. So, my husband made a badge out of the picture he drew for me on Mother's Day.

amazing! That's wonderful!

He always draws a picture of me with a smile on my face and hands it to me, saying, ``Good luck with your work.'' I must have been pretty angry (lol). This badge is my treasure.

Do you still want your child to play sports?

yes. I don't know what my child will be interested in, so I try to expose him to as many different sports as possible, so I take him to various experiences. The final decision on whether or not to do it is left up to the individual. I've been raising my children from the perspective of an athletic trainer, and I think that climbing would be a good fit. I'm secretly hoping that you'll take me to the Olympics for bouldering (lol).

Not only pursuing the career of a trainer, but also training others while raising a child...I think you are quite active in your activities, but what is the root of your driving force?

After all, my experience of having difficulty keeping up with the changes in my body when I became pregnant and gave birth was a big factor. When I said, ``Oh, my lower back hurts,'' the idea that I knew as a trainer, ``I should be okay if I do this,'' didn't work, and I was surprised to find that ``Oh, prenatal and postnatal care is a little different.'' Especially since I was attending graduate school when I gave birth, it was extremely difficult (lol).
However, there wasn't much research on postpartum care in Japan, so I read foreign literature myself and found myself thinking, ``Oh, I should have done this.'' ``Oh, I shouldn't have done this.'' Fortunately, I had the experience of studying abroad and could read English, so I was able to collect papers and information from overseas and learn on my own, but I realized that there were many women who were having trouble, so I started thinking about how I could collectively teach them.

You mentioned it briefly, but did you go to graduate school after studying abroad? And you're doing it while raising a child, right?

Yes (lol). Originally, my life plan included going to graduate school while pregnant. I was pregnant with my first child and gave birth to my second child while working as a graduate student, so it was extremely difficult (lol).

That's amazing... Did you also study as a trainer in graduate school?

yes. I mainly researched injuries and disabilities in women's rugby. In the future, I would like to conduct research on exercise before and after childbirth. There is really little research on prenatal and postnatal outcomes for athletes, with almost none in Japan and only a few in the United States and Canada. I would like to use these as references and collect data on exercises that suit the Japanese body.

I think it's a huge blessing for female athletes who are raising children, but do you hear that often?

We often hear such comments. In the first place, the ratio of male to female trainers is said to be 5:1, and in most cases female athletes are assigned male trainers. Therefore, I often hear people say, ``Now I can talk about anything with peace of mind.'' Also, there are many cases where even female trainers don't know much about menstruation or postpartum training, so I would like to see more research on this topic.

Can I bring my baby with me during postpartum training?

Of course, you are most welcome! In fact, I would like to meet the baby too. You can let your baby sleep in a stroller or on a mat, or you can use it as a weight for weight training (lol).

Lastly, please tell us about your future prospects and what you would like to communicate to society.

I want to make sure that women involved in sports don't give up on what they want to do. I want to create a society where people have a variety of options and can choose for themselves. Many women, not only athletes, but also coaches and trainers, feel that they can no longer continue working after having children. To prevent this from happening, I would like to create an environment in sports where women can participate in the field if they wish, even if they have children, and where women can utilize their strengths as women in the field even if they do not have children.