糖心视频

On Wednesday, May 22, 2024, the Shibutani siblings—Alex and Maia, Japanese-American figure skaters who won the bronze medal in ice dancing at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics—visited the Aoyama campus. They participated in a collaborative event titled “Maia & Alex Shibutani Special Talk Session,” organized by the U.S. Embassy Tokyo and Aoyama Gakuin University, titled “Maia & Alex Shibutani Special Talk Session,” was held at the campus. Twenty students and exchange students from Aoyama Gakuin University participated.

Having enjoyed brilliant careers in the world of figure skating, the Shibutani siblings are currently actively involved in supporting and ambassadoring various organizations, including serving as U.S. Sports Envoys. Expanding their field of expression and creativity into the realm of storytelling, they are engaged in a wide range of activities, including writing for young people, photo exhibitions, and video production. They expressed a desire to interact with Japanese university students, and their visit to Aoyama Gakuin University was realized.

In response to a student's question, "How did you overcome times when you couldn't see any progress?", the younger sister, Maia, replied, "Human progress isn't something you can see and confirm immediately. That's why it's important to have a clear intention for each practice and assignment, to focus your energy on it, and to believe in yourself and approach it with a positive mindset." Her brother, Alex, immediately followed up, "The words you say to yourself come back to you. Keep challenging yourself with the intention of 'squeezing out' your potential. On the other hand, when people are too eager to move forward, they tend to think about skipping necessary steps, but that's a mistake. Life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, a long-distance race, a journey. That's why the process is important. The abilities and functions that humans possess are like a supercomputer, so they need to be recharged." He then shared some important insights.