Sprinter alert

When Varsha Rohit, a state-level volleyball player, decided to shift gears and turn into a full-time athlete, it came as little surprise – for, she was only pursuing a path her parents, former athletes, chose. While the young Bengalurean has her sights set on the 2019 Olympic trials, she gets chatty with us about how things are panning out for herself on the sports front, an upcoming national level championship on the cards and much more...  

“I remember being disheartened at not qualifying for the volleyball nationals. At 11, I did not understand the dynamics of team politics and couldn’t make the cut. That’s when my PT teacher advised that I was probably meant to pursue something individually and encouraged me to start training as an athlete. I snagged three gold medals at the first school athletic competition in the very same year and that was how it began,” enthuses the 20-year old sprinter, who currently holds a few titles in her kitty – Indian National Federation Cup’15 (U-20) Junior Nationals (Hyderabad) and Senior Nationals (Mangalore), three gold medals in a row at a national level meet in Ranchi, and University Open Nationals’15 (Athletics) (Mangalore).

Fortunate enough to have successful innings right from the start of her career, Varsha believes it’s probably just the byproduct of going the extra mile.  “It was never easy. I’m usually up by 5 and go to practice on the tracks in Kanteerva stadium every single day. But considering I’m somebody who is always on the go, I end up doing a couple of other things – like modelling and even preparing for my correspondence course (BBM) exams,” she elaborates.

Quite like most success stories, Varsha tells us how her mother has been the biggest motivator and how she weathered a tough phase, only to come out stronger.” I think most journeys are filled with short comings and challenges. My parents being former athletes have always rendered support. I remember a year ago, I underwent a surgery when I tore my meniscus tissue during one of the training sessions. On seeing my MRI report, doctors advised me to chose an alternative career path as I wouldn’t be able to run for long even after being completely healed. I refused to believe it and it was only because of my parents and my coach Aiyappa’s faith in me that I sprung back to action. That’s been one of the most inspiring lessons I’ve ever learnt. I also believe nothing is really over until you think it is.” Despite a choc-a-block routine, Varsha talks about how she’s always game to blow off some steam. “No matter how exhausted I am, I love spending time at the gym. I also love food. So exploring cuisines and travel are my other interests,” she adds.

Aiming for a spot at the forthcoming Olympics’19, Varsha has her fingers crossed, “ In all honesty, it’s a dream for every aspiring sports person, just like me. I have two years to practice and prove my mettle to land a spot among the other olympic qualifiers,” concludes the starry eyed youngster with a glimmer in her eyes.