Sportswomen who beat the odds to make it to the top.

Your financial background doesn’t and shouldn’t determine your road to success nor does it determine how big you should dream. The road may be tough but hard work, resilience, and perseverance are what take you to the top. The reason for winning or losing in life completely belongs to you. Remember that dreams don’t work unless you do.

So to motivate you today we’ve brought to you stories of 4 sportswomen from financially backward backgrounds who beat the odds and took on the road to success.

MARY KOM

Mary Kom was born in Kangathei village in rural Manipur, Mary being the eldest of three had to help her parents in farming and also take care of the other two siblings of hers.

She was interested in sports and wanted to be a sports person since her school days. Even though three meals a day was unimaginable she never thought of giving up on her dreams. Her male friends, neighbors bashed her and even her father undervalued her and all the discouragement was what got her going. When Mary was 15 she snatched her first state championship and we all know the rest of the story. She went on to win five times at International Boxing Association’s World Championships, five gold at Asian Championships, and came third at the 2012 summer Olympics. She was named “Magnificent Mary” by the International Boxing Association.

Mary was also given the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Arjuna awards by the Indian government.

poverty and patriarchy were silly reasons for her to give up her dream.

SAKSHI MALIK

The one who made every Indian proud by grabbing the bronze medal in wrestling at the 2016 Rio Olympics was born to a bus conductor and a clinic supervisor. She was born and brought up in a village in Haryana. People taunted and teased her for having a muscular physique but poverty and patriarchy were silly reasons for her to give up her dream. She started practicing from the tender age of 12 and won the first commonwealth game for India at the age of 22. Till now she has won a bronze medal in the Olympics, a silver and a bronze in the commonwealth games, and four Asian championship games for our country.

DEEPIKA KUMARI

The world’s best archer was born to Shivnarayan Mahato, an auto-rickshaw driver, and Geeta Mahato, a nurse at a medical College.The family had to struggle every day to make a living. She wanted to live her dreams and her family supported her even if they couldn’t afford the money. Arjun Archery Academy, was where her archery journey began. At fifteen, she won the 11th Youth World Archery Championship held in Utah, United States and at 16 years she made India proud by winning two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2010. She grabbed silver medals twice in the world championships and came in the top three 6 times in the Asian archery championships.

“Poverty is a situation that can either make you brave or miserable,” says the pride of the nation.

India’s golden girl-PT USHA

The one we all know about, India’s golden girl, one of the most iconic women athletes was born on June 27 1964 to a poor family in a village in Kerala. Athletics coach O M Nambiar noticed Usha at an award ceremony. He was impressed by her performance and he began coaching her. And she went on to win many Asian championships and games. She has won over a hundred international medals till now and is currently working in the southern railways. She also runs a school for athletics in Kerala.

Women have come a long way and yet have a long way to go. Women have always been underappreciated and discriminated against especially when it comes to sports. But these four women chose to break the barriers rather than listening to others. Hope this motivates you to do the same.