Athlete Brains: Dai Tamesue's "Fluid Pacing" vol.18

A serialized interview column where Mr. Dai Tamesue freely discusses "things on his mind right now." The only set theme is "What is autonomy? What is tolerance?" Mr. Tamesue shares his thoughts on various "things on his mind" in response to the mysterious "interviewer's" unexpected prompts. Well then. What kind of stories will emerge this time...? Stay tuned.

──Under the theme of "Autonomy and Tolerance," this time we set the topic: "How should people face aging?" I'm currently 53, and lately I've been feeling my age rapidly. My eyesight is getting worse, my memory is failing, and I trip constantly. If I were a kindergarten kid, tripping a bit wouldn't be a big deal, but at my age, a bad fall could be life-threatening. That's why I suddenly thought, "Let's ask Mr. Tamesue about the theme of 'aging'."

Tamesue: I see (laughs).

──I imagine the greatest enemy for an athlete is "old age." How do you confront your own aging? How do you fight it? How do you live with it? Let's start by hearing about that.

Tamura: I think it varies by sport, but many athletes start feeling "old age" around their mid-20s. A clear example: you train, eat, take a bath, go to sleep, and wake up feeling refreshed the next morning. But then, you start noticing a subtle lingering fatigue. Huh? Something's off. That's when the unease begins.

──So... Athletes notice the physical changes that ordinary people only start to wonder about after turning 50, right in their mid-20s.

Tamatsuka: I once spoke with masters of shogi and go, and they said that the "flash of insight" or "sense of speed" they had in their 20s rapidly declines after a certain point. Instead, they gain the ability for "deep thinking" based on experience and to "play slowly and deliberately." I remember being surprised—it's exactly the same as athletes.

──I see. On the other hand, I've also heard that pianists, for example, get better with age, reaching their most brilliant performances around 90.

Tamura: That's how it is in the world of art, I suppose. Rather than "inspiration" or "speed," things like "maturity" and "understanding of art" become more refined with age. Chefs are like that too, right? As an athlete, I really envy that. Even among athletes, sports like golf or figure skating feel more art-oriented. Meaning, the older you get, the better your performance becomes. Of course, their competitive lifespans aren't as long as pianists or chefs.

──How have you personally faced "aging," Mr. Tamesue?

Tamesue: In a word, it's "the struggle with frustration." Why can't I perform like I used to? I want to be that person again. Watching young athletes makes my heart stir. They shine so brightly, it's almost blinding. I catch myself thinking, "Damn it!" and wanting to compete with them. But that's impossible. As I mentioned at the start, I can't beat athletes a generation younger based on "inspiration" or "speed" alone. But if I let that break me, it's the end as a competitor.

──How have you overcome that conflict?

Tametsu: I suppose it's about changing my "approach." Doing the same things as young athletes won't give me a chance to win. There must be running or jumping techniques I've never even tried before. That's why I've built my career up to this point. It's about transforming myself into an approach befitting my age.

──Ah, that's profound. In the business world too, when people talk about "transformation" or "innovation," they tend to lean toward the younger generation, but the essence isn't there. If that were the only thing of value, it'd be like saying old farts are useless.

Tamura: Exactly. Trying to return to your past self when you were shining? That's impossible. After all, the body declines day by day. But if you think, "Based on my past experience, can't I do something new?" doesn't that get you excited? Of course, I can't stand on the track as an active athlete until I'm 90.

──That's a great insight. People age, companies age, society ages. I'd been feeling that this sense of disorientation contributes to the era's sense of stagnation.

Tamura: There's still so much more to say about "aging."

──I look forward to the sequel (laughs). (Continued in #19)

(Interviewer: Web Dentsu Inc. News Editorial Department)

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From the Athlete Brains Production Team, Hibi

This time's theme was "aging." No matter how much we try to return to our past selves, it's impossible. Instead, we must aim for what exists in the present. I believe the discussion emphasized the importance of accepting this reality with grace and sincerity, and then changing our "methods" once we've accepted it. The same applies to business—changing ingrained "methods" is difficult, isn't it?
Changing methods, I believe, means breaking unspoken "patterns." When breaking patterns, I think the technique of forming new connections with the outside world is effective. Athlete Brains aims to provide assistance in shaking things up from the outside and changing methods.

Athlete Brains Production Team: Dentsu Inc. / Akinori Hibi (3CRP) · Kohei Shiraishi (Business Co-creation Bureau)

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Athlete Brains, spearheaded by Dai Tamesue.
For details on this team that connects the knowledge cultivated by athletes to solving challenges in the world (businesses and society), click here.