While most kids play with soft toys, little Rashmmi showed a keen interest in guns and ammunitions. She was born in a family of army men. “My father and grandfather are from the Army, so naturally, I grew up seeing guns and air rifles in my house. I first held a gun when I was five and started practicing by aiming at boxes,” recalls Rashmmi, who hardly knew then that shooting would become her profession one day.
Now 34, Rashmi shares that it was her dad who introduced her to the world of shooting. “When my dad witnessed the National Games of India in 2010, he said that he wants to see me playing in the next championship. Since then, I started practicing sincerely and participated in various tournaments and won several medals at the national level,” she says.
However, despite being a seasoned shooter on the home front, Rashmmi failed to crack the success code internationally — but only until she found Vaibhav Agashe, a renowned sports physiologist. “I was constantly failing to win a medal at international events, and was feeling dejected. I was confused and wondering where I was going wrong. Then, one of my coaches advised me to talk to sports physiologist Vaibhav who had trained Olympians like Gagan Narag,” she narrates, adding, “Vaibhav advised me to start meditating. Hitting the gym, chalking out a diet plan and self-talk were also part of the training sessions. This helped me with my preparation and handling the pressure.”
Days before the 2017 Asian Shotgun Championship began in Kazakhstan earlier this month, Rashmmi received the biggest jolt of her life when her dad, who used to accompany her to her events, passed away. “My dad was my strength and I couldn’t digest that he’s not there anymore. I was leading a distressful life. During that time, I got a call to prepare for the Asian Championship,” she says.
However, an emotional Rashmmi exhibited great endurance, put up a strong fight and eventually struck gold! “It was tough preparing and I wasn’t keen on it either. But I realised that this was not what my dad wanted. So I started practicing seriously and the training with my sports psychologist helped me big time in coping up with the difficult time. The Telangana Rifle Association also encouraged me a lot. When I won the gold medal (with Mairaj Ahmad Khan), it was an emotional moment and I started crying. Unfortunately, my dad isn’t alive to see the medal, but I always have his blessings,” explains the ace shooter.
When it comes to other facets of her life, interestingly, she is not keen on getting hitched anytime soon. “I never had a crush or a love life in school or college nor have I ever been in a relationship. I have been like this since childhood and people are even scared of me,” she says with a smile, adding, “I am happy being single and my focus is now on the world championship in Moscow on August 31.”
And what does Rashmmi do for leisure or when she wants to unwind? Watching cartoons and spending time with friends, she says, are her stress busters.
