TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Yuka Tsuji, who can barely hear anything in everyday life, hopes to raise the profile of orienteering, a sport that is unique to the Deaflympics, and attract more players as the games kick off on Saturday.

Orienteering is a sport in which athletes compete to find checkpoints and finish an outdoor course in the shortest possible time using maps and compasses. It originated in military training exercises in Nordic countries and became an official sport at the 1997 Deaflympics in Copenhagen.

"I hope the games inspire more people to take up the sport," said Tsuji, 32, who is aiming for a medal in the women's competition at the Tokyo Deaflympics that will run through Nov. 26.

Tsuji took up orienteering in 2022 after she was told by an acquaintance with a hearing impairment that she would be good at the sport.

Just one year after starting the sport, she won a national championship. "That was the first time I considered representing Japan," she recalled.

Orienteering requires the ability to accurately read maps, make route decisions and possess running skills. Approximately 2,000 people participate in the sport in Japan.

Tsuji, originally from Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan, was diagnosed with hearing loss at age 2. She learned to lip-read her teachers to understand lessons at elementary and junior high school.

At age 5, Tsuji began swimming and developed sufficient skill to compete at the Japan Para Championships. But at 20, she left competitive swimming because she "never intended to continue long term."

In orienteering, Tsuji specializes in the "sprint" events in which competitive athletes finish in under 20 minutes as she finds the maps easier to read, compared with long-distance events. "I can also leverage my speed, which is my forte," she said.

Hearing aids are banned for competitors in Deaflympic events, making it impossible to locate checkpoints with the help of sound.

"Without hearing the sound of a river or cheers, it is difficult to grasp my position," she said. "Concentration becomes crucial."

Tsuji said she prepares by studying maps for visualization and builds stamina by running in her neighborhood on weekdays, as well as taking part in orienteering competitions on weekends.

At the Deaflympics, the sprint event will take place in Hibiya Park in central Tokyo, while the middle- and long-distance events will be held on Izu Oshima Island in the Pacific, about 100 kilometers south of the capital.

"I will not give up until the very end and want to inspire others with emotion and courage," Tsuji said.