Koji Murofushi secured a permanent place in the annals of track and field by capturing the men's hammer throw gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the bronze eight years later at the London Summer Games.
Away from his own athletic competitions, Murofushi has embraced MLB legend Roberto Clemente's defining ideals: "Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth."
The 40-year-old Murofushi also has a visible role as the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee's sports director, including interacting with the next generation of potential Olympians. And on Wednesday, in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, he took part in a ceremony to observe the fourth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.