When Australian BMX rider Saya Sakakibara won gold in Paris, she did so wearing her brother’s number on her bike and in her heart. Now, he’s out to create his own redemption story after a near-death experience.
The fact that Saya is back on a BMX is a testament to her strength and devotion to her brother Kai.
In 2020, Kai’s world was turned upside down when he crashed in the first heat of a BMX World Cup event in Canberra.
The eldest of the two brothers, he was hoping to win a medal at the Tokyo Olympics with his sister before the pre-event nearly turned into tragedy.
He suffered head injuries and was airlifted to hospital, where surgeons operated to reduce the pressure on his brain. Kai was put into an induced coma for the next two months.
Doctors had serious doubts about his survival.
This injury affected his speech and movement on the right side of his body, forcing him to relearn essential life skills and retire prematurely from the sport.
Although he survived, the family was shaken when lightning struck them twice.
Saya’s inspiring gold medal at the Paris Olympics was dedicated to her brother Kai
There were emotional scenes when the Sakakibara brothers hugged each other after the race.
Kai and Saya Sakakibara as kids with Dutch motocross legend Robert de Wilde
Saya made it to the Tokyo Olympics but suffered a severe concussion after colliding with another cyclist and was carried off on a stretcher in harrowing scenes.
It left her terrified and unsure whether she would ever compete again. On Saturday, she conquered her fear and, with her brother watching from the stands and on her shoulders, won an emotional gold medal.
He found his brother in the crowd and gave him a big hug, as tears ran down his cheeks in heartbreaking scenes at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines circuit.
Kai spoke warmly of his sister’s bravery.
“It was like I had received the medal myself. She did it perfectly and I felt part of it,” he said.
“So I’d like to thank you for that.”
And the tears flowed as Saya spoke of how her brother had inspired her at every point of her Olympic journey.
“None of this would have happened without Kai, without him, without pushing me to be the best I can be,” she said.
“Without him introducing me to the sport, without him pushing me, without anything. I owe him a lot. I feel like I owe him a lot.”
Kai suffered a major brain injury and had to relearn simple tasks like talking and walking.
Kai was left lying on the track in Canberra in 2020 after crashing in a pre-Tokyo race.
In shocking scenes, Kaya was carried off the track on a stretcher just months after her brother’s accident.
Kai has a long journey ahead of him.
“I was in a coma for two months and had a craniotomy to reduce the pressure on my brain,” she told Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia.
After another eight months on the brain injury ward at Liverpool Hospital, I was moved to a TLU (Transitional Living Unit) where I spent the next six months.
‘I had to learn to do everything again: walk, talk, eat, learn to cross the street, make shopping lists and go shopping.
“Literally everything. Recovery is difficult and would not have been possible without the help of doctors, nurses, therapists and family.”
But his Olympic ambition is still alive and he has found a new sporting love during his rehabilitation: rowing. A passion he hopes will take him all the way to the Paralympic Games.
“I wanted to get back into sports at a high level and I tried a few things, including spending some time at the velodrome and trying cycling again,” he said.
Saya and Kai, pictured as teenagers, have always been close and share a common love of BMX.
Rowing has been a key part of Kai’s rehabilitation and he is looking to represent Australia at the Paralympics in his new chosen sport.
“Cycling turned out to be a scary thing. I started looking for something else and went to a Paralympic sports test day,” Kai continued.
‘It was here that I discovered rowing and as soon as I got on the rowing machine, I knew this was the next sport for me.
‘I now row five days a week and have made great progress. Rowing with other people is a challenge because we all have to row together and in sync.
“The long-term goal is the Paralympics. I’m close to achieving that, but it will take some time. Anyway, I’m using the same approach that I used in my rehabilitation: one step at a time.”
Meanwhile, Saya’s gold medal will be treasured and owned by everyone in the Sakakibara family.
“We’ve been through a lot. It’s very special that he and my parents were here,” Saya said.
‘BMX means a lot to me and Kai. I still wear his number, 77, every time I race, so I know he’s with me at all times and that I’m representing him every time I go out on the track.’