MEMOIR
When Two Became One
Saya Sakakibara and her brother, Kai, had a shared dream to compete in BMX at the Olympics. After a devastating accident, Saya had to make the decision to go on without him – and for him. In her new memoir, Just Go, she opens up about the journey to winning gold in Paris
Saya and her brother, Kai, at the Olympics in Paris last year
Saya proudly showing off her gold medal.
Photography Phillip Castleton; Getty Images.
I was nine and my brother Kai was 12 when we first declared we would race in the Olympic Games. It was 2008: BMX racing had been added as an Olympic sport and we sat watching it in the living room, our faces pressed so close to the TV screen our noses almost touched it. We were utterly absorbed. “How awesome would it be?” Kai said, sighing. “Would what be?” I asked. “Going to the Olympics. Winning a gold medal. Being the champion of champions,” he replied. It actually hadn’t dawned on me until he said it. I guess because it hadn’t been a possibility until then. It just wasn’t on my radar, but it was firmly on his. That declaration would end up being a dream we’d share together. The direction in which we were headed. It always starts with a dream.