The importance of taking up physical activity is tremendous it builds the person you become. I believe taking up physical activity is able to shape and mold the person you become to be and for the better. I grew up in sport since I was 3 years old. Ever since then I have participated in various sports it may be individual sports or team sports. In individual sports, I participated in swimming, track, and field. Team sports I participated in volleyball, netball, field hockey, football, futsal, and basketball. The longest sport I participated was swimming, I swam for 14 years of my life which is a great amount, and especially because it was the first sport I did and participated at a young age it has really impacted me and shaped the person I am today. Through the long years of training, I learned from a young age that without hard work and effort there is no change or reward. You need to earn it to get it, and by not only swimming but the other sports I participated in I was able to fully grasp this concept. I was able to mature and grow a long sport. To me, the sport was like a teacher, friend, and family to me. In a sense that it was able to teach me things that you learn from teachers, friends, and families. Sport has taught me the norms, values, and ethics. To always show sportsmanship and fairness to everyone. Through sport, you are always told by your coaches to never give up and to do your best. Yes, this concept is simple, but it is so important to implement this simple concept to a young child’s mind. You are not only telling them not to give up on sport and to do their best, but also in life. In other aspects of their lives, they are going to go through hurdles. Such as for me preparing for exams and getting into university has been one of my biggest hurdles that I had to come over. I used the same concept in academics, work hard and never give up, and this simple concept has to lead me here, to Keio University.

Through team sports, you are required to communicate with your fellow teammates and that’s where I was able to grow and work on my social skills. In university, I have joined the taiikukai volleyball women’s team, and here I was in a new environment and had to adapt myself and use my social skills to communicate with the team and bond. Team sport pushes you to not only just be players on the court but also mentally be in sync with your teammates, to have the same mentality shows a strong team. In sport it is not all uphill, there are bumpy roads and you are having to deal with new obstacles, such as injuries, communication, teamwork, and your own motivation.

As I continue participating in higher physical education I as a person will keep growing and learning, and at the end of the day become a better person. Hence, why I will always be involved in some form of physical activity throughout my life, I know the importance of not only physically keeping your body healthy but also mentally. Physical activity is able to push you in ways that books and knowledge cannot. It is more within you that comes out and grows, which I believe is paramount of importance.