このエピソードについて
Today’s guest is Kota Umeda, whose journey is a powerful story of perseverance, faith, and finding an identity beyond sports.
Born in Tokyo, Kota moved to Cleveland at eight years old without speaking English. By age 12, he was translating for his parents while his family faced financial struggles, evictions, and his mother’s cancer diagnosis.
Soccer became his escape and purpose. Despite being told his dream was unrealistic, Kota became the top-ranked recruit in Ohio at his position and played Division I soccer at Louisville and Akron.
At 20, he left college to play professionally in Brazil after his father gave him life-changing advice: “Sometimes, if the fear doesn’t go away, you just have to do it afraid.”
Kota played six years of professional soccer across Brazil, Portugal, Hong Kong, and the United States. But after a devastating injury, he lost his athletic identity, battled depression, and reached the lowest point of his life.
With the support of his family, a sports psychologist, and his faith, Kota rebuilt his life and discovered a purpose beyond the game.
Today, he is an international keynote speaker, five-time author, and mental health advocate who speaks about resilience, leadership, discipline, faith, and mental wellness.
In this episode, we discuss Kota’s rise to professional soccer, his mental health journey, the dangers of tying your identity entirely to sports, and how he turned his pain into a purpose that now helps others.
Kota Umeda, welcome to the RU Strong Podcast.
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