Shinozakura joined Panasonic after graduating from Tachibana H.S. in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. "The Panasonic Angels were a local team based in Kanagawa where I'm from, and they were always something I admired right from my school days," she said. "I'll never forget how happy it made me to put on that blue singlet for the first time. My 5 years as part of the team gave me the chance to concentrate on the sport I love in a fantastic environment, and I got to go places and experience things I never would have imagined. I'm truly grateful. As part of the team I got to hand off the tasuki to some of its more experienced people, ones I'd seen on TV, and I was every year that I got to run through the streets of Sendai in the Queens Ekiden in front of the big Panasonic cheering squad."
Looking ahead, Shinozakura said, "I'm truly proud to have had the chance to run in the Panasonic blue and I have no regrets about my time there, but I'm nowhere near what I hope to achieve as an athlete. In the same way that I always admired the Panasonic runners, I want to continue to grow as an athlete in my own way at my next destination, working hard to achieve my ideals so that I can help inspire others and bring them energy and smiles on their faces."
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translated by Brett Larner
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