“My mother once saw a group of kids learn teakwando in a park. That day itself she came home and asked me to join. I was really young then, maybe in class 4. Since that day, there has been no looking back. Initially, I took it up because my mother was keen on it. But like other sports, teakwando too grows on you. The more you do, the more you love it. During the sessions, I do get tired or sometimes, wait for it to end quickly. But the moment I’m done with it, there’s a sense of power… Confidence in myself. Not just physically, but it makes me mentally strong too. It’s not necessarily about being able to fight people around me, but more about feeling empowered. Of course, I have hit a few boys in my school, haha! But I’ve also been able to run with them, mostly faster than them. The whole idea of women being weaker and inferior is trash. I’m as good as any other male teakwando learner. It’s about hardwork, dedication and practice. But you know how the society is… Both my mom and I got a lot of – ‘Why is your daughter learning martial arts?’ ‘She has injuries. She’s a girl. Doesn’t suit her’. This phase was mostly when I was growing up. I don’t think anybody dares to say it to me today. I’ve proved each one of them wrong. But of course, it’s also my mom’s support. Despite all these uninvited advices, she never asked me to quit teakwando. Neither did my father! They have always been supportive. Every time I won a match, they would welcome me home with pride. So do my masters… They never treat any girl or boy differently in our institution. We’re one family and we’ll work hard for to get what we want. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter if teakwando makes me darker, thinner or full of injuries. The feeling of empowerment and peace I have when I spend an hour or longer fighting it out… nothing can beat that. And that’s what I aim for, one match, one championship at a time. ”

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