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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 24th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2021> The Blinded Sailor—Hiro Iwamoto
The Blinded Sailor—Hiro Iwamoto
Fearless against winds and storms, sail across the Pacific for hopes

“Success is not an easy task, but so long as one has the will, success is never out of reach,” —Hiro Iwamoto
 
Living the hope
 
Hiro Iwamoto is the world’s first blind sailor to sail across the Pacific Ocean. On February 24, 2019, the Japanese-American set sail from San Diego, United States, with navigator Dough Smith, on a 14,000 kilometers journey across the sea.
They sailed in a 12-meter boat, and eventually landed in Fukushima, Japan, without stopping once during the voyage. Iwamoto was at the helm the whole time, while Smith was manning the radio and communication.
The reason why he wanted to go to Fukushima was so that he could personally deliver read and pass mails by relatives of those who died in the Fukushima tsunami in 2011 into the ocean as a blessing.
Iwamoto said he had attempted to cross the Pacific many times, but failed in all of them. But this did not discourage him. He wanted to find a special motivation, and the mail delivery did the trick. And he said he is glad to have done it all.
 
        Breaking record
 
        Iwamoto was born on December 27, 1966, in the city of Kumamoto, Japan. At age 13, when he was playing baseball with friends, he noticed that his eyesight suddenly began failing.
        His teammates blamed him for not catching the ball. And he had a hard time adjusting to his disability. Strangely, his eyesight gradually deteriorated even though he was healthy and did not have any genetic disorder.
        On August 13, 1982, Iwamoto wanted to kill himself. But as he sat on the side of the road, he backed out of his attempt. He later slept on a bench in a park, when he dreamed about his uncle telling him not to end his live.
After seeking medical help for years, Iwamoto eventually came to grip with his new condition, but he didn’t want to live in his own dark world. Rather, he wanted to succeed and overcome his disability.
Living blinded was a hard task, and he had trouble with everyday actions such as brushing his teeth, eating and traveling around. Although his life was filled with these inconveniences, he never gave up on his life again, and soon he found courage and confidence.
 
        Dream of sailing
 
        At age 16, Iwamoto has become blind completely
        He tried various sports for the blinded, but eventually setting on sailing after being married to his wife Karen on May 1996. Karen was an experienced sailor, and they lived at a pier in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo.
        In 2005, their first daughter was born, and the family moved to the United States in 2006. But Iwamoto always had a dream of one day crossing the Pacific to go back home.
        His first attempt took place on June 16, 2013 to sail from Japan, but a giant blue whale hit their ship and stopped their attempt. Iwamoto and his crew had to be rescued by the Japanese coast guards.
        He thought a blinded man crossing the Pacific was an insurmountable task. But he eventually realized that god has given him a second chance from escaping death, so he shouldn’t give up so easily.
        In 2019, he sailed again. And after 55 days, he successfully crossed the Pacific. This voyage had raised over 600,000 dollars, and he donated them all to charity foundations.
        He wanted to tell everybody that, so long as one has heart and courage, and the spirt of never giving up, one will always succeed.
Hiro is continuing to support for all sufferers of natural disasters, wherever he go, he would read the poem by Kenji Miyazawa: “be not Defeated by the Rain”
 
Be not defeated by the rain, Nor let the wind prove your better.
Succumb not to the snows of winter. Nor be bested by the heat of summer.
 
Be strong in body. Unfettered by desire. Not enticed to anger. Cultivate a quiet joy.
Count yourself last in everything. Put others before you.
Watch well and listen closely. Hold the learned lessons dear.
 
A thatch-roof house, in a meadow, nestled in a pine grove's shade.
 
A handful of rice, some miso, and a few vegetables to suffice for the day.
 
If, to the East, a child lies sick: Go forth and nurse him to health.
If, to the West, an old lady stands exhausted: Go forth, and relieve her of burden.
If, to the South, a man lies dying: Go forth with words of courage to dispel his fear.
If, to the North, an argument or fight ensues:
Go forth and beg them stop such a waste of effort and of spirit.
 
In times of drought, shed tears of sympathy.
In summers cold, walk in concern and empathy.
 
Stand aloof of the unknowing masses:
Better dismissed as useless than flattered as a "Great Man".
 
This is my goal, the person I strive to become.