ITF

206 SHINGO KUNIEDA Japan ATHENS 2004 MEN'S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES GOLD BEIJING 2008 MEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES GOLD BEIJING 2008 MEN'S WHEELCHAIR DOUBLES BRONZE LONDON 2012 MEN'S WHEELCHAIR SINGLES GOLD I n my tennis career, I've only cried three times at the prizegiving ceremony... those three times were on the podium for the Paralympic gold medals. That shows how special it was. I can't possibly single one moment out. Each one means something different, but is important to me. Each gold medal changed my life. In 2004, I was thinking of quitting because I was struggling financially. I needed to win a medal in 2008 to become a professional tennis player. And in 2012, six months before the Paralympics, I had an elbow injury. So, only six months after the injury, it felt like a particularly good achievement to win. Grand Slams happen four times a year. So in a usual year, those four tournaments are what I train for. But once in four years, the Paralympics take over and I focus more on the Paralympics, so in 2016 I'll be concentrating more on Rio rather than the Grand Slams. And my biggest dream right now is to win in Rio, and another gold in the singles in Tokyo four years later, which would be my fourth Paralympic singles title in a row. Each one means something different, but is important Each gold medal changed →

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