picture of the day

Fighting spirit

38 Comments

Japan's disabled sprinter Maya Nakanishi poses in this handout picture featured in her calendar in Tokyo. Nakanishi, who is planning to compete in the 2012 London Paralympic Games, published a calendar featuring her posing semi-nude with her prosthetic leg to help fund her training and trip to London Paralympic Games.

Nakanishi lost her right leg below the knee in a workplace accident when she was 21, then became a sprinter with her prosthetic limb. She is the Asian record holder in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee) 200-meter and long jump and she was the first Japanese woman to be at the start line in a 100-meter final race in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Olympics.

But with little financial assistance, she made up her mind to pose herself partially nude in her calendar to fund her trip to compete in London. The calendar of 7,000 copies is priced at 1,200 yen in Japan.

© Japan Today

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38 Comments
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She looks angry. I wouldn't want her chasing me.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Why cut off the top of her head? Some awesome photos in the calendar, but overall it really doesn't do her any justice. She doesn't look cute in any of the photos, yet in real life she is a hottie. "Cute" sells, not "cold and scary and looking like a man". Good luck to her in London though!

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Oh my dog! That woman would have muscles in her poop! She is built like a man!

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

I think the photo was cropped a bit too close at the top unfortunately, but other than that she looks great.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I do not think she is built like a man at all....she is tone & extremely beautiful what is not to love about a woman like that. Her dedication to be competitive is to be admired.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

They should have picked a more flattering picture.

-13 ( +2 / -15 )

Sexy and strong. I wish there were more pictures like this than of the airhead "cute" girls so often posted on here.

13 ( +16 / -4 )

Well, since I'm a heavy weight lifter, I guess I should consider myself a MAN too. lol There is no way I would trade my 17% Body Fat for "curves". Thanks but NO thanks.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

I dig it. Just do a quick Google image search to see a few calender shots. I will buy one if I see it knowing it went to a good cause. Yep, she is pretty...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

The underlying question is why isn't there sufficient funding for Japan's Paralympic athletes? Before Tokyo (or any other city) spends a fortune on trying to host the Olympics they should be looking at their own house. It's also quite sad that out of a population of 1 120 million she's only aiming to sell 7000 copies.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I am afraid in all this Heda was the one to nail it.

Why on earth would/SHUD she need a bit of funding to attend the LON meet............................maybe blinky can spare some ca$h from his Senkaku fund!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Superb woman.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

People you should really just google her name and look at the other images of her. She is a very attractive woman, and I give her credit for doing this.

She has made a new fan out of me! Good luck!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

A well-toned body is a beautiful thing, regardless of gender

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Quite an inspirational young lady all said and done.

Fair play to her.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Unless it's just my regular trolls, I'm actually very surprised at the negative ratings for my previous post. It IS wrong that an athlete would need to do this to gain funding. Completely and utterly Wong. Japan should be embracing all of it's athletes ith open arms - this is, after all, a country that has a National sports day.

I'd happily donate to support her endeavors.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Wow! That woman looks incredibly fit!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

What a wonderful relief to see this bold and confident woman instead of some giggling & simpering cutie (& all the attendant sound effects).

It's about time that a muscular woman is the ideal of beauty. A woman should be the best of everything that she can be: smart, strong, grounded and confident. Encouraging women to be cute simply makes them subservient & compliant & trying to please.

And yes, the government should be paying her way. Abhorrent that they are not.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

A body made of steel and a stare that would make Chuck Norris pee his pants.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

You can buy this calendar from amazon.co.jp. I got it back when it was first published - it's a worthy cause.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%82%B8%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88-%E4%B8%AD%E8%A5%BF%E9%BA%BB%E8%80%B6%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC-2012-2013/dp/B007DSX31K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338693438&sr=8-1

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Nice abs. Good on her that she come back fighting from this kind of an injury and look confident and feel confident. I truly have nothing but the biggest admiration for someone like her.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

love to see more of her pectoral muscles, very well trained indeed.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Now that's my kind of woman...

Sexy, strong and Japanese...

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Full support! These are kind of people we all should take example of!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Heda, no one watches the games - no real fan base and TV stations won't cast things if they won't get the viewers. Without viewers, sponsors are in short supplies and the government doesn't give a lot of funding to female athletes as it is, let alone those with disabilities. I can see both ways to be honest. Why should the government fund Olympians the way they do when the country doesn't have the money to do so? Why doesn't the country fund those the represent them in world sports?

And yes, I agree, perhaps Ishihara could use some of the Tokyo money for these people - more so than those damn islands.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I appreciate all kf that but surely she is the perfect role model for any person with disabilities. Pretty and competent.

If Tokyo wants to host the Olympics then the country will need to start embracing the Paralympics.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Heda, no one watches the games - no real fan base and TV stations won't cast things if they won't get the viewers

The viewers can't watch what is not scheduled and never introduced. They cast people with greater disability all the time : negative IQ tarentos that try to learn eigo, aging trolls like Beat Takeshi, all the vapid has-been full of dough champions, etc... Why can't they invite this charming person to their shows ? Why can't she also model the unicloth, the sodas, etc ? Why can't she get her show "Maya goes to London" all expenses paid by the TV channel ? They make so many with insignificant celebs so in their budget that would be really nothing. It's really a choice they make or don't make. This girl has a bit of leg missing, but she runs so much faster than me (OK not a reference), she is gifted.

And yes, I agree, perhaps Ishihara could use some of the Tokyo money for these people - more so than those damn islands.

Yes. She could be sponsored by the island fund and run with a bilingual t-shirt...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Extremely strong and beautiful body.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Very fit and toned. A body to kill for, although her leg seems less toned than the rest of her body. What I do find strange is her belly button. Maybe it's just the photo.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

WOW! Impressive. And yes, why didn't the photo include the top of her head? That is the roundest b'button ever. Wishing her well in London!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wow, this woman is beautiful. She looks like a warrior. So intense! I'm falling in love.

1 ( +2 / -2 )

Cos, I agree but I do think you can watch some of the stuff online. I have to say, I have been impressed with some of the TV stations spotlights on people going to the Olympics who aren't everyday names. Would be great to see her included in this. And yes, modeling and the like. She's an amazing role model everyone - more so for the young women in this country. Enough with "Lola" and such crap. Give us people with substance who have talent!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Very impressive. She deserves a lot of support from Japan.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It's about time that a muscular woman is the ideal of beauty. A woman should be the best of everything that she can be: smart, strong, grounded and confident. Encouraging women to be cute simply makes them subservient & compliant & trying to please.

Why make one ideal of feminine beauty? The fact of the matter is some women like Nakanishi, have the physical capabilities that few others have. Not everyone can be a world class athlete. Not all women are interesting in pursuing athletics when they are perhaps more apt to excel in music, art, or academics.

I don't think that it is helpful to replace one flawed ideal of beauty or femininity with another that so few are genetically capable of achieving. If a woman is physically attractive there is no rationale for discouraging her from using that to her advantage. Men use physical attractiveness to their advantage, why shouldn't women? That's not subservient, it's rationale.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

J Government should hire her to be one of spokepersons for Cool Japan ....................forget AKB48.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

She's cool !!!!! Good Luck

0 ( +0 / -0 )

this is such an awesome photo!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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