Revathi Veeramani from Madurai has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics to represent India in the 4 x 400 m mixed relay event. On Sunday, at the camp for Olympics-bound athletes in Patiala, Revathi stood first in the 400 mrun after clocking 53.55 seconds. She stated, “It’s a dream come true more for my coach Kannan.”
As per a report in The Hindu, she overcame personal tragedy and penury with sheer determination to achieve this feat. She along with her younger sister were brought up by their maternal grandmother Arammal who worked as a farmhand after they’d lost their parents at a young age.
Arammal ensured that they remained in school, and even took on the task to carry bricks in kilns during droughts to combat poverty. Revathi recalled, “Our relatives asked my grandma to send us to work so that she could rest at home. But she refused.”
Mr. Kannan, who was the coach at the Sports Development Authority stadium at Race Course, identified the natural athlete in Revathi and offered her free training. She recalled, “I could not afford ₹40 every day to commute by bus between my home and the stadium and declined the offer. But he got me a free seat and hostel accommodation at the nearby Lady Doak College. It was Kannan Sir who dreamt that I could make it to the Olympics, provided I worked hard.”
Arammal recalled that Kannan also helped the family financially and helped Revathi’s sister get a job in the police department. “But for my coach, I would have ended up working in an unit making springs for motorbikes,” Revathi added.
Despite having to practice sprinting barefoot because she couldn’t afford shoes, she put her heart and soul into running. She eventually has ended up proving her relatives wrong as they didn’t believe in putting girls into school and sports.
What do you think of her inspirational journey? Tell us.
Cover Image Source- left