Roller skating, ‘People who trolled me for my success’ now congratulate me for

Rayudu Arun Kumar, a 21-year-old roller skater, has been shattering stereotypes since the day he chose roller skating over any other conventional sport. He recently won two golds and two bronze medals, with his partner Farheen Shaik, at the 58th National Roller Skating Championship, held at Chandigarh. And this is the 14th time that this student of mechanical engineering has bagged the top slot at the national championship!

Thrilled by speed as a kid, Kumar convinced his parents to enrol him in a training academy in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, after watching some skaters overtake his father’s car. At the age of three, his journey of roller skating kick-started. But was it a breezy one? “No! My roller skates were ordered from Italy, and that alone cost around a lakh, which is a hefty amount for a middle-class family. As this sport is not as popular as cricket, I have to pay for all my flight tickets and accommodations while attending championships. There is a dearth of funds for this sport and hence, it becomes financially challenging,” says Kumar, adding, “However, my parents and my coaches, Akula Pavan Kumar and Seelam Laxman Rao have been very supportive.”

Hailing from a family of national-level basketball players, Kumar remained determined to pursue this sport, despite facing ridicule from his peers. “People would bully me and say that skating isn’t a real sport. Now, when I win the national championships, the same people come to congratulate me.

I never gave up because of my passion for the sport,” adds Kumar. In future, he plans to join the Indian Armed Forces and serve the nation.

As this sport is not as popular as cricket, I have to pay for all my flights, accommodations while attending championships. There is a dearth of funds for this sport. Hence, it becomes financially challenging. RAYUDU ARUN KUMAR, Roller skater