Global Courant 2023-05-31 22:37:59
San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
There are 19 days left until the 47th edition of the La Prensa newspaper marathonand the competitors are very excited and preparing for the big race, but there is one in particular whose enthusiasm wins, since beyond being able to win a prize, he will win knowing that the proceeds from the event will be to contribute with a huge cause.
His name is shin fujiyama a character who has earned the affection of the catrachos for collaborating with the country’s education thanks to his 1,000 Schools foundation, an emblematic project in this edition, where more than 7,000 athletes are expected.
People are very happy because the LA PRENSA Diary Marathon will be run for education
I know that people come for exercise, health or friendship, but many also want to support education because the people who come to pay for their kit are contributing to the construction of schools. Even if we don’t win medals or trophies, we should be happy because the ones who will win will be the children with their education.
There is less and less time left for the LA PRENSA Diary Marathon, are you ready yet?
I finished my Cobra challenge two months ago and am running about four miles on weekdays and weekends from 15 to 20 so I don’t miss a beat. I also go to the gym.
Do you already have an experience after having run in previous editions?
Sure, I think so I have run the La Prensa Marathon six timesLast year I ran it on crutches because I had a fractured knee, but I don’t like to lose and I finished the 5 kilometer route.
How many children will accompany him this year?
I want to motivate 20 children and employees.
Would you like to be the first place in the 21 km?
It would be impossible because I know that international competitors are coming, Cubans, Africans, Dominicans have always won, and I am not at that level, but since this year the theme is running for education, we are all going to win, and even more so the children of Honduras.
What advice do you give to those people who still can’t decide whether to run the Marathon?
Many people want to compete, but are afraid because they think they may be criticized. I recommend that you do not do it because there is an environment where everyone is welcome.
Shin, tell us how this idea was born. I’m going to build 1,000 schools for Honduras.
I came to El Progreso and my intention was always to help local children, especially the low-income ones or those who were abandoned on the streets, and all of that expanded, and now it’s not just El Progreso, now we want to reach the entire geographic area. We want to reach every corner.
How does it make you feel that all your work is blossoming?
It’s satisfying because many children started with me, are now in college and work with me at the 1,000 Schools foundation.
What school are you going to right now?
We are building schools 64 (Flores de Oriente, La Lima), 65 (Rivera Hernández) and 66 (Mezapa, Atlántida), and soon we will start with 67 and 68 in two places that are surprises. There is a lot to come.
When you get to school mil, what do you have planned?
Keep running the marathons (laughs), retire in a town in Honduras that is between Santa Lucía, Siguatepeque and Santa Bárbara. I still have a lot to know, it is possible that I fall in love with other places.
After all this time, do you feel like one more catracho?
I am another Honduran, I have shots for breakfast, lunch with Indian chicken soup, and dinner with beans, tortillas, and coffee. I have armed half of my life, here I have lived in the country for 16 years and 28 adopted children.
What has been the most beautiful thing you have found in the country?
Ufff, so many beautiful things, but now that I went to the department of Saint Barbara I explored so many places and was very delighted. So next month my mother and father are coming to visit Honduras and I’m going to take them to see them.
How do you manage with such a tight life you have?
It’s crazy. Together with my collaborators we put together my calendar and I have five months in advance of what I am going to do. Sometimes I get sad because the children of the foundation miss me.
How did that idea of being a youtuber come about?
Well, due to the need of the pandemic, the foundation was sinking, we had no funds, the donors could not come to see the projects and I did not know what to do, so I grabbed my iPhone 7 and started with the videos, no one had seen a Japanese speaking Spanish , traveling and knowing the streets of Honduras. It all went viral very quickly.
Were you surprised by the acceptance it had?
Yes, because at that time I didn’t even have a microphone and all I had were my headphones, little by little I got more tools. I remember my first viral video was in San Pedro Sula. To this day I don’t have an explanation of how people became so enchanted by my videos.
How many videos and followers do you have on your accounts?
Videos are more than 300 and recently we reached half a million subscribers on YouTube. I never imagined and we hope that by the end of the year we will reach a million.
How do you come up with so many different ideas to make all those videos?
We always talk to my team, we spend hours and hours planning ideas to make the material. I have three large whiteboards full of thoughts.
Thanks to this, do you already know the whole country?
One of my challenges is to know all the departments of Honduras. I’m missing a lot. I just got to know Santa Bárbara. I’ve concentrated on the north zone and I haven’t been able to get to know the other regions.
