HUMANS OF AISTS
MAS2021 | Ep02 | YOKO YAMAGISHI
Although I was never an athlete, I took a leap of faith and moved to the UK from Tokyo when I was 18 purely because of my passion for sports as a fan which eventually brought me to AISTS. While I was studying sports management at Loughborough University, one of the best sport universities in the UK, I have had an opportunity to actually be involved in the sports industry. I’ve been in charge of digital media and communication at some major sports events and rights holders, including Wimbledon, Liverpool FC, World Rugby Sevens Series, ITF Davis Cup, and the IOC. Through those events, I was able to witness the vast possibilities and the power of sports which can unite people regardless of their ethnicities or cultures, and close its gaps.
Although the beauty of sports is gaining recognition due to the industry’s rapid commercialization, I am concerned that its growth has also created issues that may question its inherent values. I want to tackle such industry challenges so that the values of sports can be directly utilized to improve the wider global and social issues.
COVID is certainly affecting our first month at the AISTS, however, the AISTS team has been very supportive to make sure that we will have a great time at the school and in Lausanne. It is such an honour for me to be a part of the AISTS community with experienced and insightful people from all around the world. Flying abroad and meeting with people from different countries in person becomes precious more than ever under this pandemic situation. I’m looking forward to the upcoming 8 months at the AISTS and in Lausanne.
* Coordination by Aditya and photography by Gabor, MAS2021.
