Masazumi Soejima facts for kids
 Soejima during the 2009 Boston Marathon |
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Track and field (athletics) | ||
Representing  Japan |
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| Paralympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | 4x400m – T53-54 |
Masazumi Soejima (副島 正純, Soejima Masazumi) (born 1970) is a Japanese Paralympian wheelchair racing athlete. He is known for competing in long-distance events, especially marathons.
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Who is Masazumi Soejima?
Masazumi Soejima is a talented athlete from Japan. He was born in 1970 and became a Paralympian. This means he is an athlete who competes in the Paralympic Games, which are major international sports events for athletes with disabilities. Masazumi specializes in wheelchair racing, where athletes use special racing wheelchairs to compete in track and road events. He mainly competes in the T54 category, which is for athletes with spinal cord injuries or similar conditions.
A Champion Wheelchair Racer
Masazumi Soejima has achieved great success in his career. He won two very famous marathons in 2011. He was the men's wheelchair winner of both the 2011 New York Marathon and the 2011 Boston Marathon. These are some of the biggest and most challenging marathon races in the world. Winning them shows how skilled and determined he is as a wheelchair racer.
Paralympic Achievements
Masazumi has represented Japan in the Paralympic Games multiple times. He competed in the marathon event at both the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. In 2004, he also competed in the 10,000-meter race. Four years later, in 2008, he took part in the 5,000-meter and 1,500-meter races.
His biggest Paralympic achievement came in 2004. He won a bronze medal as part of Japan's 4x400-meter relay team. This was his only medal at the Paralympic Games, a proud moment for him and his country.
Beyond Racing: A Race Director
After his successful racing career, Masazumi Soejima moved into a different role within wheelchair racing. He started helping to organize events. He served as the race director for the wheelchair section of the 2019 Tokyo Marathon. This means he was in charge of making sure the wheelchair race ran smoothly, from planning to the actual event. It shows his continued dedication to the sport, even after he stopped competing professionally.
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