This is how Olympian Sakura Kokumai is preparing for Tokyo
Many Olympic athletes have been dreaming of their first games since they began their sports as little kids. But for Sakura Kokumai, who will be representing Team USA for karate in Tokyo, that wasn’t an option when she started the sport at age 7. Fast forward 21 years: Karate has been added to the Olympic roster, and Kokumai’s heading to Tokyo, the first American to qualify for the karate games and, of the four Team USA karate delegates, the only woman.
With a little less than two weeks before the Opening Ceremonies on July 23, the pressure is on for Team USA. Karate will be one of five new sports to the Olympics, along with skateboarding, surfing, softball/baseball, and climbing. While Kokumai is certainly excited, the students she’s been teaching over Zoom for the past year and a half are as well. “This is one thing the kids never imagined, being able to watch karate on the TV, let alone at the Olympics,” Kokumai says.
But what do you pack for the opportunity of a lifetime? Well, luckily for Kokumai, some things are already sorted. Upon arrival, Kokumai will receive her clothing for the opening and closing ceremonies, designed by Ralph Lauren. A classic navy blazer with a U.S. Olympic team patch on one side and the signature Ralph Lauren polo horse on the other; a navy and white striped tee; and a red, white, and blue scarf make up the smart, classically all-American uniform.
Though she says, ““I don’t have any superstitions or anything that I have to pack,” Kokumai will be bringing along two competition gis and two for training. “It’ll be super-hot in Japan and very humid, so I’m going to make sure I bring extra,” she says. For training, she’ll also have “lots of” resistance bands, Panasonic noise cancelling headphones , and plenty of water for that Tokyo humidity.
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