Kae Kurahashi and Ryley Batt Talk about Their Path to Victory

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines,  announced the release of a YouTube video featuring an online dialogue with Kae Kurahashi, a wheelchair rugby player and MOL employee, along with Ryley Batt, a player sponsored by Toyota Motor Corporation.

Although the two players have faced each other many times in competition, they have rarely had opportunities to connect off the court. This unique first-time conversation offers a glimpse into their shared passion for wheelchair rugby and their daily training routines, as well as challenges they encounter as competitors, and how they overcome them. The conversation also delves into their relationships with teammates and how they spend their private time. MOL hopes you enjoy this heartwarming, inspiring dialogue between Kurahashi and Batt.

Wheelchair rugby is “a sport which players with varying degrees of disabilities unite on the same court, strengthening their teams by combining the individual strengths showcased through their respective roles, making this sport exemplifies diversity.
MOL will continue to contribute to the further development of wheelchair rugby while fostering an environment where diverse employees worldwide, regardless of gender or disability, can showcase their talents and create new value through rewarding work.

[Profile: Ryley Batt]

Born in 1989 in Australia, he first competed in the Paralympics in 2004 at just 15 years old. He went on to help his team capture two Paralympic gold medals, and as team co-captain at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, contributed to winning a bronze medal.

[Profile: Kae Kurahashi]

Kae Kurahashi was born in 1990 in Hyogo, Japan. She was injured in a trampoline accident when she was a university student, and after undergoing rehabilitation, she was introduced to wheelchair rugby. In 2016, she joined MOL and was assigned to the Human Capital Management Division. In 2017, she was selected as the first and only female member of the Japanese national wheelchair rugby team and helped them achieve 1st place in the World Championship in 2018 and a bronze medal in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games. She went on to claim a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. Notably, she became the first para-sport team competitor to be honored with the Medal with Purple Ribbon.