Rikako Ikee's inspirational two-year journey from high-level athlete to leukemia sufferer and back, culminating with a fairytale qualification to the Tokyo Olympics, is just a prelude to the 2024 Games, she says.Regardless of how the 21-year-old performs at the Olympics held in the city of her birth, Ikee's presence on the international stage will give a much-needed rallying point for a host nation that is far from embracing the games.Like anyone else who has suffered disease or illness, Ikee, who is among the some 14,000 people diagnosed with leukemia each year in Japan, has fought to prev…READ FULL ARTICLE
