Author: Rick Mc

Hosted in the largest indoor multi-purpose dome on earth 25 October to 3 November.

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One of the great coaches and coach educators is grievously ill.

He’s only 51-years-old with children age 5 and 8.

July 15, 2018

My dear friends,

Many now know of my cancer diagnosis and have expressed concern and support for me and my family.

I would like to provide an overview of the situation.

I was diagnosed with poorly differentiated adeno-carcinoma of stomach cancer, stage IV in fall of 2015. Following the surgery, the oncologist said that the cancer had already infected the lymph nodes. I underwent ten months of chemotherapy but then discontinued it because of the side effects.

I then seemed to have regained my health for more than a year with a combination of alternate therapies, balanced diet and regular exercise.

Unfortunately, the cancer returned, and I started another course of a more aggressive chemotherapy. This turned out not to be effective and the cancer metastasized to the liver and to the lungs.  And then even with an immunotherapy treatment the tumors spread and increased.

Since conventional treatment was not effective, we decided to stop the aggressive treatment and let the body have a rest. I am now urgently seeking alternative treatment to survive and relieve the pain.

I have always been a warrior as is evidenced by my continued work for the FIG Academy Program until October 2017, and I will continue to fight both for myself and for my wife and two young children. I am praying for a miracle and thank you for your thoughts and prayers and offers of assistance.

Kathy So

On behalf of my beloved husband, Takashi Kobayashi, who dictated this message.

Takashi asks that you share his letter with your Gymnastics friends and contacts. He wants everyone to hear it from himself.

__ FIG’s Hardy Fink:

I had the privilege to have had Takashi teach at 13 FIG academies on all continents. He is the most exceptional expert and educator. He also taught many camps for the Asian Gymnastics Union.

He taught the last five FIG academies after his diagnosis. He never let anyone know and was surprised when the news got out exactly two weeks ago.

As many know he was on the Japan MAG coaching staff from 2003 to 2009 during which time he coached Naoya Tsukahara and Kohei Uchimura. He then served as Coaching Director of the Japanese Olympic National Training Centre, and as WAG National Coach 2013-2015.

I was honoured that he phoned me three times during the past week even though he could almost not speak. I also spoke with his devoted wife, Kathy. As he wrote in his letter, he is a WARRIOR and he will continue to fight but his main concern is for the well-being of his young family. By the way, his 52nd birthday is on July 29.

Please, forward Takashi’s very personal letter to the many coaches that he helped around the world.