VIJAYAWADA: At just 14, artistic skater P Chaitra Deepika has big dreams. After winning three medals in Solo Dance, Free Skating and Quartet formats at the 2nd India Skate Games 2024, held at Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, Chaitra has set her sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Born to PR Satish and P Lalitha Devi in Visakhapatnam, Chaitra has been residing in Vijayawada since 2018. A Class IX student of N St Mathew’s Public School, she is among top 10 in her class. While her father works as a superintendent at RGUKT - Nuzvid, her mother is a homemaker. Reflecting on her achievements, her mother said, “We are immensely proud of Chaitra’s dedication and hard work. Her passion for skating drives her to excellence. We will continue to support her every step of the way.”
Chaitra’s skating journey began when she was just five years old. She draws inspiration from Panchada Satyanarayana, popularly known as Satyam, a coach for Team India in artistic skating. Under his guidance, Chaitra honed her skills at the Shivaji Park Skating Rink in Visakhapatnam, gradually solidifying her position in the national circuit at the age of 11.
Since 2018, Chaitra has bagged 37 medals across various tournaments and championships in India and China. One of her most notable achievements was securing a gold medal in pair skating at the 19th Asian Roller Skating Championship held in Beijing, China in 2023.
Reflecting her determination to continue representing India on the global stage, Chaitra said, “My aim is to bag a medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
Former Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu, current Governor of Andhra Pradesh Syed Abdul Nazeer and former Governor of Andhra Pradesh Biswabhusan Harichandan congratulated Chaitra for her recent success.