THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When it comes to turning adversities into opportunities, India’s international runner OP Jaisha is second to none. The 31-year-old long distance runner from Kerala might have had to suffer a hard time growing up, but all she has in her mind these days is winning a medal for her country at the upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics in the summer of 2016.
Born as the youngest of four sisters to PK Venugopalan and OP Sreedevi at a village near Mananthavady in Wayanad district of Kerala, Orchatteri Puthiyaveetil Jaisha had a normal childhood until a bus accident left her father bedridden and forced her mother to shoulder the responsibility of the whole family. Jaisha was only five at the time.
“Those were hard times. Many days, we could not even feed ourselves with enough. But I think it is during those days that I developed my enduring capacity and the willpower to succeed in life and face obstacles,” says Jaisha. Anyone who has seen Jaisha effortlessly negotiate mile after mile on athletics tracks around the world would attest to that.
And there is a certain air of confidence when Jaisha says that an Olympic medal is not out of reach for Indian athletes. “I am not saying I hope to win an Olympic medal; I am saying I am confident I will win a medal at Brazil,” Jaisha says. “If there is proper planning and hard work, nothing is off limits,” she says with a confidence arising from the labour and perseverance she puts in.
Back in the day, her mother would work hard to bring up the girls but at times her efforts fell short. Despite all the suffering, a young Jaisha took interest in sports during her school days at the Government Higher Secondary School, Thrissilery, where she proved her talent in athletics. Representing the school at the Kerala State School Athletics Championships, Jaisha brought home several laurels, which won her an admission to the Kerala State Sports Council’s sports hostel based at Assumption College, Changanassery.
Jaisha soon began competing in middle and long distance events in the early part of her career and in 2005 broke into the Indian national camp. She represented India at prestigious events like the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games while also breaking several national records over the course of time.
Gaining a job in the sports quota with the Indian Railways through her performances on the track, Jaisha managed to find the financial resources to marry off her three elder sisters. Jaisha is now married to Gurmeet Singh, a former athlete and coach, who also mentors her during her time away from the national camp.
Jaisha still takes difficulties and challenges in her stride. It would be almost suicidal for an athlete to change her long time pet event to something else, but not if you are Jaisha. When Belarussian coach Nikolai Snesarev, India’s national running coach, recommended that she focus more on the grueling marathon races instead of the shorter formats, Jaisha took the advice with an open heart.
“It was very difficult to make the shift from short distance to long distance runs. But when I think of the hardships my family and I had to face, I feel these difficulties are nothing compared to the real life ones,” says Jaisha.
She marked her marathon debut at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2015 in January earlier this year, and it turned into a memorable one with a maiden victory in the 42 km race. And she did that in grand style, breaking a 20-year-old record in the process.
“Though I have qualified for the World Championships and Olympics in the 5,000-metre race and marathon, the coach told me to focus on the marathon. So, I will now be doing exactly that and will now only be participating in the marathon event in the world championship in August at Beijing, China,” she says.
A bit of a late bloomer, time might be running out for Jaisha to make an impression internationally. But for her, that is not a concern. “Ageing takes place only in our minds. So, you should only make sure that your mind stays young enough,” she quips.
Jaisha also has some valuable advice for young athletes who are vying for top spots in sports: “Do not pay heed to those who say an Olympic medal is just a dream. If you work hard, results and recognition will follow.”
hope at olympics Sunita Godara, a former Asian Marathon champion and currently
coordinator of Indian marathon runners, says Jaisha’s performance in her first ever marathon race took everyone by surprise. “If she can get the financial backing from government and the athletics federation, I won’t be surprised if she produces the country’s best effort in the marathon at the 2016 Olympics,” Sunita says, adding that in long races like marathon, you never know when things turn in your favour
— adwaith@newindianexpress.com