Naomi Osaka and the Olympians who have overcome illness or injury to take part in Tokyo Games

Rikako Ikee, Helen Maroulis, Thomas van der Plaetsen, Naomi Osaka, Santiago Lange and Kento Momota have all battled hardship

From leukaemia to testicular cancer, to concussion and mental health issues, these athletes have experienced it all

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Japanese swimmer Rikako Ikee has recovered from leukaemia to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: AP

Published: 8:45am, 21 Jul 2021Updated: 9:02am, 21 Jul 2021

Everybody loves a poignant sports story and the Olympics offer an abundance of inspiring tales of athletes who come back from the brink. Like normal humans, finely tuned athletes suffer injuries and illnesses. Unlike normal humans, athletes have the Olympics as a lifetime goal to aim at, providing the incentive to haul themselves back on their feet to avoid missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An athlete’s career is short and medical issues can be devastating. However, there are enough examples of sportsmen and women who have risen from the depths of despair to thrive on the greatest sporting stage on earth.

From American sprinter Wilma Rudolph to swimming legend Michael Phelps, many elite athletes have warmed the hearts with stories of courage, determination and faith. This year’s Tokyo Olympics will feature a number of big names who have overcome hardship. Here are six inspiring comeback stories:

Rikako Ikee (swimming)

Foreign media who wish to cover the swimming have been warned. Book your seat early because the Japanese press will swamp the pool eager to see their heroine Rikako Ikee. In February, 2019, the 21-year-old Japanese star was diagnosed with leukaemia, just six months after setting the Jakarta Asian Games alight with six gold medals.

She spent 10 months in and out of hospital and only managed to return to competition in August 2020. Although she failed to qualify for any individual events, the fact that she made it into the Japanese 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay is a miracle in itself.

After finishing fifth in the 100m butterfly at the Rio Games, Ikee is now targeting Paris 2024 for her first individual medal but, with the backing of so many of her Japanese compatriots, she is hoping she can help her relay teams to a podium finish in front of home fans.

Helen Maroulis (wrestling)