This Paralympian's story helped Tokyo land the 2020 Games

Mami Tani is training hard to qualify to compete in triathlon at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

The course for triathlon runs through the area where she works and where her son goes to nursery school so it would be extra special for her to compete there. But that's not the only reason.

Tani played a key role in bringing the Games to Tokyo. The 37-year-old felt the weight of the country on her shoulders in September of 2013 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tani, then known as Sato before she was married, was more nervous than ever. She's spent a decade competing in front of thousands in the long jump at the Paralympics in Athens, Beijing and London. She's been a world champion.

But this was different.

Trembling in rehearsals

Tani was trembling in rehearsals. She's never done a public speech before in English and yet she was kicking off the presentation for Tokyo 2020 hoping the members of the International Olympic Committee would vote for Tokyo over Madrid and Istanbul.

Tani started by telling the story of how she became a Paralympian. At 19, she was active in many sports while in university. She was a runner, swimmer and cheerleader.

When Tani started to have pain in her right ankle, she went to see a doctor. It turned out to be bone cancer. Within a few weeks her life was turned upside down. She had to have her leg amputated.

While it was a devastating turn of events, she says, "Sport saved her during a dark period in her life" and gave her new confidence. She told the IOC members, "Most of all I learned that what was important was what I had, not what I lost."

While Tani hooked the IOC members with that beginning, voters had no idea what was coming next.

Tsunami hits her hometown

The year before Tani's third Paralympics, on March 11, 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, killing 15,000 people. Within minutes Tani's hometown, Kesennuma, was under water.

"I was living in Tokyo and I was watching what was going on there on the TV news," she recalls now. "It was horrendous watching the tsunami and a big fire spread in my hometown."

Six agonizing days passed before Tani finally made contact with her family and heard their voices again. 

"When I got a phone call from my mom after six days, I cried."

Tani joined a group of athletes who brought supplies and messages of support from other Japanese school children to her hometown. Looking back now she says, "It was so tough for the children there. They were not crying. But their faces were so sad."

She started organizing games and getting the children there to play sports and have moments of fun to briefly put some of their worries aside.

True power of sport

Over time, she says, "We saw the faces of the children were changing. Only then did I see the true power of sport," she related to the IOC members in Argentina. It helped "to create new dreams and smiles. To give hope."

Tani adds, "We have to continue this movement until 2020 and beyond."

Tani's emotional story and how compelling it was for the IOC was highlighted by best-selling author Carmine Gallo in his book the Storyteller's Secret. Gallo points out that in the past Japan would typically start an Olympic bid presentation with a senior leader such as the prime minister.

"You may not be writing this article about Tokyo 2020 if it hadn't been for storytelling and Mami was the one who kicked it off."

He says Tani talked about her rise and fall, overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, her rebirth and transformation. Just like when Tiger Woods recently won the Masters, this kind of story touches people emotionally and even non-sports fans find them compelling.

Gallo says storytelling is the most important tool any organization has to change hearts and minds.

'Treasure trove of these stories'

"The Paralympics are sitting on a treasure trove of these stories," Gallo says. "So many Paralympic athletes have the same kind of hero's journey [like Mami's], and that's gold."

When the Japanese celebrated after Tokyo was selected, Gallo says the newspaper headlines took notice of the previously little-known long jumper.

The Japan Times headline read, "Sato Shines as Role Model." The Guardian noted, "Japanese bid's passion earns Tokyo the 2020 Olympic Games" and they gave special mention to Sato.

Tani is now married with a four-year-old son. She's juggling life as a mom, wife, her work and training.

"It would be the most memorable time of my life if I could compete in a home Games."

And to know she played a big part in making it happen.