Season Two Episode Three
Have you ever watched the Cirque du Soleil and thought "Who the hell does that and how did they get there?" Well listen to today's Legends Conversation with 18-year-old Mei Sawada and learn just decision, passion and support it takes to become and elite performer. Seriously she makes it all sound so easy. But it isn't!
"Soak it all in and do it your own way"
*We had a few technical difficulties in the first half of the recording so the sound quality isn't brilliant - then the sound cut out altogether so we reset and the sounds gets better
In this podcast:
Do you want to know what it takes to be an elite athlete? How long it takes to train? What do you eat? What happens when you let your regimen slip! What kind of commitment and support is essential from family and teachers and other carers and guardians. The love support and belief of parents to change path and direction and to be the very best you can. Mei is single minded and mature as well as super committed to her regimen and the discipline and care it takes to keep a up a professional body
- Throughout we use bits and pieces of Japanese and translate in real time! This is the reality of living bilingually and biculturally - all of us who live here in Japan mix it up!
- We talk about her Japanese and English backgrounds and how she doesn't feel bilingual or bicultural because she's always been this way
- Fun stories from English Christmas and round the table in Japan with the grandparents
- How her active and sporty parents influenced her decision to become and elite athlete
- The authentic childhood 3-generation home that they are now completely rebuilding!
- The joy of living with a very active and chatty Obaachan (grandma)
- Her sporting path and how active she has been for many many years as a child
- The AHA moment when she entered the arial silks studio and saw people spinning from the ceiling and KNEW she wanted to do that for her job in the future
- Her incredibly committed training schedule
- That moment when she realised how strongly she wanted to do this and how she describes the feelings in her body that arrive when you are about to enter your passion and your zone of genius
- "I just wanted to train and do what I love"
- How proud of her parents were when she decided to follow her heart and drop out of school - even though she was breaking the line of her Grandad and Dad's high school attendance
- How she manages the constant feedback loop of being an athlete
- How she stays motivated and positive in Corona times
- What comes next for a future Cirque du Soleil performer? Where will she 'Soak up the positive energy'
Find Mei & other links here:
https://www.instagram.com/cirque_mei/
https://ecolenationaledecirque.ca/en
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/
