Caught Off Guard by Announcement, Kawauchi's Colleagues Vow to Support Him All the Way in Next Phase of Career
As his journey takes him far away across the world, the shining star of the Saitama Prefectural Government is set to take a new step. Returning to Japan on April 19 after becoming the first Japanese man in 31 years to win the Boston Marathon, Yuki Kawauchi, 31, unexpectedly announced that he plans to retire from his job at the prefectural government offices next spring to turn pro. His boss, colleagues and prefectural government officials were caught off guard by the announcement, expressing surprise and dismay, but voiced their support as they said, "We respect his decision," and "We will support him forever." After announcing his plans to go pro at Narita Airport, Kawauchi hurried to work at Kuki High School in Kuki, Saitama. After receiving flowers, a cake and blessings for his achievement from Principal Atsushi Takemoto and his coworkers, Kawauchi smiled widely, saying, "I'm very grateful. I'm so happy. I didn't think I could really win it...