Takako Mogi
Head of the Fukuoka Branch of Amputee Sports Club Start Line Tokyo

I lost my right leg (amputated above the knee) in an accident when I was 21, and began my life with my Gisoku. From that point on, I gave up on running; but two and a half years ago, when I asked myself whether there was something which I still wanted to do in my life, the answer was “run”. In order to make this ambition to run a reality, I went to Tokyo, and began to run wearing a sports Gisoku. Running was more difficult that I had imagined, but I am currently taking on further challenges such as trampolining, canoeing, and riding a Segway.

 I requested the manufacture of a Gisoku for everyday life at the same time as the one for sports. I always have the Gisoku socket (the part into which I put the remainder of my leg) made from a fabric that I like but, since there were none that I liked, I had my son make a design with the cherry blossoms that I love, and sent the data to the UK to have it turned into fabric.

I call this “Gisoku, my pride and joy”. Until now, I hated having a prosthesis. However, when I became able to run, the people around me who saw my sports Gisoku with its cherry blossom pattern said “The cherry blossoms are pretty!” and, as I told them that my son had designed them, I gradually found that I wanted everyone to see me with my Gisoku. This provided me with the opportunity to try things on which I had given up until now.

Since I can wear high heels with this Gisoku, my pride and joy, I decided to try wearing boots. I began by wearing short boots and, as I built up more practice, I became able to wear long boots.  

The next idea that came to me was that I would like to wear a kimono one more time. As it was hard for me to walk in straw sandals, I wore boots and a kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, and had my photograph taken underneath a row of cherry trees.

When I sent the photographs from that day to my prosthetist, I was invited to be a model for a collection of photographs of women who use prostheses. I was actually photographed as a model, and two of these photographs are included in the “Amputee Venus 2” photo collection which went on sale on 31 October 2021. 

In April this year, I learned that Coca Cola were recruiting placard bearers for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

I thought that this would be an ideal opportunity to show people around the world my Gisoku, my pride and joy. As a fellow athlete, I also wanted to carry a placard and support the contestants with all my might, and so I applied. At the start of June, I received a letter from Coca Cola appointing me as a placard bearer.

I wrote to the person in charge at Coca Cola saying that I wanted people around the world to see my cherry blossom Gisoku, and that I wanted the right leg of my uniform to be particularly short. I sent this together with a photograph of me wearing my sports Gisoku.

At the opening ceremony, I was able to carry out my appointed task as a placard bearer, carrying the placard of the country to which I was assigned, and to let people around the world see me, bringing them dreams and hope. Having my dream come true so soon, and on such a prominent stage, itself felt like a dream.

This autumn, I was a finalist in a “Mrs. Contest”, a beauty contest for older women. The dress which I wore for the competition was made by a designer from satin fabric in the cherry blossom pattern designed by my son.

“However old I may be, I can do anything I try”. “My Gisoku is my best feature”. I think these sum up how I charm people by showing myself.