Kai Sakakibara

BMX

Half Japanese, half British but self described as 100% Australian… Kai Sakakibara has a story like few others. Kai was a consistent Top 10 in the world BMX Racer on a pathway to the Olympics with his Sister and World Number 1 Saya Sakakibara by his side on the journey.

The ‘stricter’ of the siblings, Kai is always the first to show up and the last to leave, all the while sticking around to ask if there’s anything more he can do to improve himself. He is just built different with his mindset and it is clear for all to see.

Tragically in the lead up to the 2020 Olympics, Kai suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash that nearly proved fatal when attempting to qualify for Tokyo. He was a certainty to make the Olympic squad and was pushing his limits to represent his Country.

Kai has since become an inspiration to many as he rebounds from this accident which included 8 weeks in a coma during the outbreak of COVID. Kai had to have lockdowns explained to him as he tried to make sense of the new world he woke up to. He hopes to one day compete at the Paralympic Games for his new sport of Rowing.