Nozomi Ito is swapping her nurse's uniform for Lycra as part of an intensive training regime to reach her goal of becoming a professional track cyclist.
Ito, 28, who works at an ophthalmic clinic in Hakodate, Hokkaido, is one of three people to have been selected as a trainee by the Hakodate Municipal Government and the Japan Professional Cyclist Union's Hokkaido branch.
The three are set to take an admission test in October for Nihon Keirin Gakkou, Japan's professional cyclist training facility in Izu, Shizuoka Prefecture, which has been competitive in recent years.