Japanese fencer Ryo Miyake was in the process of qualifying for the Olympics when it was postponed to 2021.

Delivering food on his bicycle

With his Olympics dream put on hold, and competitions postponed due to Covid-19, the 29-year-old is now working as a Uber Eats rider.

Miyake, who won a silver medal during the 2012 Olympics, told Reuters that he is rejecting sponsorship money for the time being.

“I thought it was a little impudent to receive support in such a situation, so I told them (sponsors) to hold (sponsorship) for the time being.”

To earn some extra cash, he has turned to doing food delivery during this period, reportedly earning around 2,000 yen (S$26.70) a day.

Miyake said that delivering food on his bicycle allows him to maintain his fitness at the same time – especially during a period where gyms are closed.

Contactless delivery

He is also taking precautions as a delivery rider by doing contactless deliveries as recommended by the app.

“The only time I have contact is when I pick up food from the restaurant’s staff," he said.

According to Reuters, Miyake is looking forward to training with sparring partners again.

However, in the meantime, he will be looking for other ways to earn money around his training regime.

Postponement of Olympics

On Tuesday (Mar. 24), it was announced that the Tokyo Olympics will be postponed for a year. Despite the delay, the games will still be called the '2020 Olympics'.

The Olympics have never been delayed in its 124-year modern history.

However, it was cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during the two world wars.

Top photo via Wikipedia, Miyake_fencing