Super moms at th He Olympics
Anju Bobby, who made history in Indian athletics by winning a first medal (bronze) at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris, asserts that it is extremely challenging for a woman to train after becoming a mother.
Adding that a mother has to take care of kids on one side while managing work on the other side, she states, “After my first baby, I tried participating in the Olympics, but I just couldn’t make it because it was so physically taxing. Moreover, I was injured so there was too much happening them.”
Anju also points to the fact that after a woman’s delivery, the body doesn’t respond the way it did earlier. “What if there is an injury in the middle? Sometimes as you age it is difficult and takes more time to recover. Meanwhile, kids demand time and it is very difficult to maintain focus. Before marriage, the sole focus would be on training and schedule, but after becoming a mother, the attention needs to be equally divided on kids,” she elaborates.
Nevertheless, Anju is proud of Sania Mirza and Mary Kom for their stupendous efforts and successes. “I think only women can handle anything in this world,” quips Anju, who is currently the Senior Vice President, Athletics Federation of India (AFI).
IN ADDITION TO THE HIGHLEVEL PHYSICAL TRAINING,
ATHLETES NEED TO IMPORTANTLY STAY AS STRONG, MENTALLY. WHILE IT
TAKES EXTRAORDINARY GRIT AND RESILIENCE FOR ANYONE TO NOT GET CARRIED AWAY
BY OTHER INFLUENCES, IT INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY FOR ATHLETES WHO ARE
MOTHERS.
FAMILY SUPPORT CRUCIAL
The dedication athletes are expected to maintain in managing training and fitness programmes, in addition to the pressures of performing well at global tournaments, causes many to turn to their families for support.
Karnam Malleswari, the first Indian woman to win a medal (bronze) at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, recalls how she had to seek family support to be strong emotionally. She participated in Athens Olympics (2004) as a mother after her elder kid was born.
“Just three months before the Athens Olympics, I went to Russia for training and had to stay away from my family for some time to continue my workouts and practice sessions being away,” she explains. Then, adding that balancing professional and personal life was extremely challenging, she tells us that she managed to do it all only because of her family’s support she got.
MENTAL FORTITUDE
In addition to the high-level physical training, athletes need to importantly stay as strong, mentally. While it takes extraordinary grit and resilience for anyone to not get carried away by other influences, it increases exponentially for athletes who are mothers. Venkatesh Devarajan, former boxing World Cup bronze medal winner and current national selector,
believes that combat sports like boxing require incredible mental power. So also, he is wonderstruck at how Mary Kom has
been training over the last two decades.
“I have to say Mary Kom is an extraordinary woman. Her resolve to excel even at this age amazes me; being a mother makes things all the more difficult for her because maintaining one’s fitness, weight, etc. are challenging for women after entering motherhood. And then she manages to win medals since 2000 and remain consistent over the years. She amazes me,” adds Devarajan. “It’s very tough for mothers to push the envelope and only those with sheer mental grit can survive. I’ve seen Mary Kom overcoming several hurdles as a mum even as she trains hard during the pandemic, too. She knows what it takes to be right on top.”
MARY KOM IS AN EXTRAORDINARY WOMAN. HER RESOLVE TO EXCEL EVEN AT THIS AGE AMAZES ME; BEING A MOTHER MAKES THINGS ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT BECAUSE MAINTAINING ONE’S FITNESS, WEIGHT, ETC. ARE CHALLENGING FOR WOMEN AFTER ENTERING MOTHERHOOD. IT’S VERY TOUGH FOR MOTHERS TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE AND ONLY THOSE WITH SHEER MENTAL GRIT CAN SURVIVE.
— VENKATESH DEVARAJAN, FORMER BOXING WORLD CUP BRONZE MEDAL WINNER AND CURRENT
NATIONAL SELECTOR