Against all odds: Single mom’s grit turns daughter into cycling prodigy

CHENNAI: A teary-eyed mother, who had shouldered the entire burden of being a single parent, never allowing anything to come between Tamilarasi and her success, watched as her daughter clinched another bronze for Tamil Nadu in the Keirin – girls track cycling race at the Khelo India Youth Games on Wednesday.

Less than 24 hours since R Tamilarasi bagged an individual gold in the girls’ scratch race (7.5KM), she capped off her campaign with another bronze medal for the state.

“I initially thought I won silver, but nonetheless, I’m truly satisfied,” said Tamilarasi, speaking to DT Next after her bronze medal win on Wednesday.

Hailing from Annur in Coimbatore, the 18-year-old had earned a silver medal at the Khelo India Youth Games last year in the team-sprint event. Racing with her seniors at school in normal cycles on regular-track, she secured the second position, catching the attention of her teachers who encouraged her to participate in Coimbatore district zonal level tournaments. This led to Tamilarasi’s progression in state-level races, culminating in her clinching the second position. While she has participated in numerous National-level races, it was only recently that she started winning medals. Currently, she is training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) camp in Kerala.

As she interacted with the media, a teary-eyed mother stood in the corner, filled with pride about her daughter who is taking one step at a time. “I have a single parent; it’s just my mother, and she’s very supportive. She was the one who helped me buy cycle and kits,” said Tamilarasi. It was also the first time her mother attended one of her tournaments in person.

“I really need to get a hold of my academics. After the Khelo India Youth Games, I’ll probably go back to my college for some time,” she said, discussing the balance between academics and cycling.

I met with an accident and was uncertain: Srimathi

Tamil Nadu’s Srimathi’s participation at the Khelo India Youth Games was hanging by the thread when she met with an accident during a national-level race in December. She was sent back home after multiple stitches, but to everyone’s surprise, she staged a comeback and won individual gold and silver and a team event gold medal here at the Khelo India Youth Games 2023.

Following her accident, she had only 20 days to train before the event. Speaking to DT Next, she said, “This is my second time at the Khelo games. I thought I’d never make it to the tournament. It was difficult, but I feel fulfilled right now.”

Srimathi, who has excelled in track cycling events, started her journey on tracks just three years ago. “At first, the steep banks where we take turns was a challenge, that needed more exposure but in two months, I got used to it,” she added.

During her early days in Muppulivetti in Thoothukudi district, Srimathi received training at home from her father, practicing on road cycling. She achieved fourth place in road-racing Nationals, earning her a selection by SAI and she’s currently undergoing training there.

RESULTS:

Keirin - final girls: gold - Vimla Machra (Rajasthan), silver - Heisnam Chanu (Manipur), bronze - R Tamilarasi (Tamil Nadu)

Keirin - final boys: gold - Vedant Jadhav (Maharashtra), silver - Atharva Patil (Kerala), bronze - Vedant Amitkumar (Maharashtra)