"Showing off my figure? I'm not a fame-seeker." The Japanese female athlete with 220,000 followers reveals the real reason she is glued to social media... "Without money, I can't train."

*This content was translated by AI.

Honoka Izai, a Japanese modern pentathlete with 220,000 Instagram followers, has confessed the practical reasons behind her glamorous social media (SNS) activities.

On the 9th, Japan's VITUP reported, "The reason Honoka Izai, who is active in Spartan races and other modern pentathlon events, is glued to social media is not a simple desire for recognition, but a desperate situation to survive as an athlete."

Izai has achieved top-tier results in Asia in the notoriously harsh Spartan races and is currently a athlete preparing for Olympic competition in the modern pentathlon. While she appears like a glamorous influencer, the reason she attracts public attention is clear.

The media stated, "Most Japanese track and field athletes join corporate teams and balance work with training. In contrast, Izai chose to go freelance without a team. While she has more time to dedicate to training, she must fully cover the enormous costs required for competition and training herself. Currently, she earns her training fees through corporate sponsorship, as well as SNS activities, event appearances, and modeling work."

Through the media, Izai said, "Just as others go to their offices, I go to competitions. I compete, win prize money, and film the entire process to create YouTube and SNS content that generates revenue."

The reason she competes in multiple events is also a survival strategy to secure recognition. Unlike baseball or soccer, non-popular sports struggle to attract public attention even when athletes win medals on the international stage. The media reported, "To raise her profile and gather sponsors, Izai has been filming and editing videos herself during training breaks since 2021 to communicate with the public."

In particular, the shoulder surgery she underwent last year brought a profound sense of crisis. Unable to train due to injury, she realized the harsh reality that she must secure a new income source to prepare for life after her athletic career.

Izai, who previously worked a stable full-time job, had resigned immediately when she was blocked from taking leave for competition. Although she is walking the uncertain path of a freelancer, she expressed her passion, saying, "I love the world of competition. My top priority is to compete in the Olympics."

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*This content was translated by AI.