震災後初めて、津波の被害のあったところまで行き、石巻の中学校を訪問させていただきました。全校生徒の前でスケートの話をしたんですけれど、それより金メダルを持ってきているということにまず、中学生たちがすごく喜んでくれたんです。そして、僕に会っただけでもすごく笑顔になってくれました。生徒の皆さんの笑顔から、被災した方々、本当につらい経験をしてきた方が元気になってくれたということを、教えてもらったというか、肌で感じさせていただいたことが初めてだったので、すごく嬉しかったんです。僕自身が一番感動し、僕自身が元気になったなって思います。

I must tell you, that when I came back from Ramallah in September, I really felt I had done something good. For many of these Palestinian children, it was the first time they ever had a positive thought about anything to do with Israel. I asked one young girl, 'Are you glad I came?'. And she said, 'Yes, because until now I only saw Israeli tanks and Israeli soldiers, and now I see an Israeli musician'

Many people benefited from that gold medal

I’m just happy we were able to put a smile on their faces

I am very happy to hear from all the girls who have already sent me messages on Instagram telling me that they started skateboarding or that their parents let them start because of a video of mine. It was the same with me: I showed a video of Leticia (Bufoni) skateboarding, then my father saw it and said: 'All right'. My story and that of many other skaters who broke this prejudice, this barrier that skateboarding was only for boys, for men. Being here and holding an Olympic medal is very important to me.

I am very happy, because I was able to represent all the girls, Pamela and Leticia, who did not qualify, all the girls from skateboarding and from Brazil. To be able to realize my dream of being here and winning a medal is very gratifying. My dream and my parents' dream.

A lot of the really junior people really stepped up. It was a great growing experience for them to be thrown into the middle of the ocean and told, “Okay, swim.

It is a great feeling, having a bronze medal before and now silver, I hope they will soon award the silver medals to us. Even when we came back with the bronze in 2008, we didn’t even get a handshake or a congratulatory message but thank God today that I can now be addressed as Olympics silver medalist. That is the joy of the whole thing but it would have been better if the silver medal had been awarded right on the podium

Translation: I think I have changed a bit since the earthquake. After all, people think that I am in a position to support people around me. That is how the media portray me as well, like, I am hoping to cheer for others with my performance. However, on the contrary, I realized that I was the one who had been receiving so much support.

We took portable showers, Pampers and clothes for kids [in a Hurricane Katrina shelter]. I sang for them and played the guitar . . . At least for a little while, they saw that someone wasn't forgetting them. It lifted their spirits, and I knew they were a little more comfortable when we left.

I represented my school at a competition and was honoured by the headmaster of the school, Mr G.O. Taiwo, who asked me to come out and said a lot of good things about me in front of my school mates. I decided on that day that I stood to gain everything from the game of table tennis, so I must remain focused to be counted among the best.

To bring the gold medal as a mum will also inspire my daughter. It was really something special for me defending my title.

People fall down, winners get up, and gold-medal winners just get up faster.”

The announcers sounded giddily excited. Their faces flushed, their eyes bright. Natural disasters did that to people, made them feel significant, reassured them that their actions mattered.