- 2020 Highlights
Personal Statement
A good ongoing season with the accomplishment of being the SCVAL champion for 100m hurdles and qualified for CCS finals after relocating to US in Oct 2019 from India.
Growing up in a country of 1.3 billion people, I’ve always been a sports enthusiast. Until the age of 8, I took part in every sport I could get my hands on; including swimming, badminton, basketball, tennis, cricket etc. I tried out different sports, however, track and field really caught my eye - and legs! I started early and began to realize that I really wanted to pursue track when I won my first state meet in India.
I took part in the 400m sprint and 100m sprint at the State level in Telangana, India, and placed first in both. Winning at this meet, got me into the National Board Meet. I won my first ever Silver National Medal in the 100m dash, with a photo finish. Following that, I won a national gold medal in the 400m dash. Since then, my love for track and field became hungrier and stronger.
Being on the track fills up my soul with happiness and that feeling cannot be put into words. However, that is what inspires me to be better and achieve more. I moved to the United States from India in October of 2019 and joined school three months into my sophomore year. My body would instinctively wake up before the alarm clock went off, whether I had track at 5:30 am every day or 8 am, as I trained in the morning and evening every day. My family has moved cities in India multiple times and now we have relocated across the globe to California. I’ve changed schools six times and am now an incoming senior, and the only constant in my life has been: the track. My High School in India, appointed me as the Deputy Sports Captain, to mark my achievements on the track.
Moving to California, opened up a window of opportunities for me since the coaches and facilities here are excellent. I’ve been hurdling for about one and a half years now, and I have really improved. Within a week of moving to the US, I got a coach and started training, even before we found a house or a school. I am ecstatic that after the pandemic washout last year, I could take part in meets this year and I am the SCVAL champion for 100m hurdles and 9th in the 300m hurdles in the Central Coast Section (CCS) prelims.
Along with doing track and field, I’m also a huge geek and might I add, a mathematics and physics one. This year has been good academically with straight As in all subjects. Equations, numbers, and acceleration, all concepts in mathematics and physics, excite and inspire me. They have also helped me to apply such concepts to the track. Most of my classmates in India did not enjoy mathematics, but I form the exception to that criteria and received a Scholar Badge for my perfect 100 in the subject. Moreover, technology excites me and I want to make a mark through innovation in this field. Like the consistency in my running, I practice mathematics every day. The uniqueness of the subject ignites the flame of interest and I aspire to achieve greatness in this field.
