My Story: Machiko Yamazaki – Japan
Machiko Yamazaki was excited to hear Joy Upshaw, USA, coming to the Japan Open Masters Athletic Championship but she was a little disappointed when she looked at the program. They ran together in the 300mH in the World Masters Athletic Championship in Perth, AUS last year but Joy did not enter the 300mH this time! Machiko, World Championship Silver Medalist, was 0.29sec behind Joy – she wanted to run together once again.
However, she had a chance to run in 80mH together this time. The race, including Yukari Ando (W55) and Harumi Nakano (W50) was splendid with Joy rushing to the finish followed byHarumi, Machiko and Yakari. In W55, though Joy won the championship and established a new game record, Machiko was the second and established a new national record in Japan.
Machiko has five W50 and seven W55 national records!
W50:
- 300mH 49″99
- 4 x 400mR 4’33″32
- Pole vault 3m00
- Pentathlon 3692 points
- Heptathlon 4921 points
W55
- 60m – 8″83
- 80mH 13″95
- 300mH 50″52
- Pole vault 3m00
- Standing five step jump 10m45
- Jump Pentathlon 4123 points
- Pentathlon 3932 points
- Heptathlon 5507 points
She spent the early 30s in Venezuela with her husband stationed in his business. She realized the pleasure of participating in a relay to run at sports meet approximately two months after the delivery of the second daughter and at running game with the parents of the Little League team of the eldest daughter.
It is the track and field that she continued to the college at a junior high school the beginning.
She did not have a chance to run about for after the return to Japan and participated in mom volleyball, but the chance came to her to run in 400mx10 by the event of the World Athletic Championships in invitation of Taegu of Korea. One of her relay teammates advised her to join All Japan Masters Athletic Championship at the age of 47 years old for the first time. She set a new national record with Yukari Ando in 400mH and it was fun to run. She has been competing in the All Japan Masters Athletic Championship every year since then.
Her job is delivering motorcycle parts. She carries tires, engine oil and batteries everyday and they are very heavy. She feels happy because it helps her to do muscular workout for track and field!
She began the pole vault five years ago and she wants to find new challenges from now on.
Photos by Ty Nakashima. Thank you to all the Photographers who do so much for our sport.
中嶋尚 (Takashi Nakashima), JPN (M62)