Buddhist priest by day, Olympic athlete by night

Meet Kazuki Yazawa, a 27-year-old Buddhist priest who is set to compete at his third Olympic Games in Rio for his native Japan.

It's an unusual combination, and not one Yazawa envisioned carrying out at such a high level. He placed ninth in the men's K-1 kayak slalom at London 2012 but soon after decided to join the priesthood while continuing to kayak in his spare time.

Even as he scaled back on his training, he came out on top at the Japanese canoe slalom national tournament in 2015, making him the country's top contender for Rio, and Yazawa has been balancing life as a committed priest and an Olympic athlete ever since.

Yazawa detailed his daily routine in an article by the Associated Press: He wakes up before dawn and accompanies the senior priests at a temple in Nagano. At 3 p.m. he swaps his robe for a polo shirt and shorts and heads to a nearby river to work out on the water for about an hour and a half. That is usually followed by a run or a gym session.

He says his average practice time is less than half of what he was doing heading into the London Games, but his experiences as a priest has given him a perspective he believes can only help him realize further Olympic dreams.

"This time, I think I'm more at ease," Yazawa told the Associated Press, who also raced at Beijing 2008. "I think I'll be able to enjoy the Games."

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Israel Fehr is a writer for Yahoo Canada Sports. Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr