COIMBATORE: It seems life has come full circle for R Meena (57), mother of the new sprint queen of India, Vithya Ramraj (27). When Meena competed in running events during her Class 10 days, people used to say she could run as fast as the legendary P T Usha.
Decades later, her daughter Vithya told her that she would break Usha’s long-standing record (in women’s 400m hurdles), and Vithya lived up to her promise with great aplomb this year at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
Vithya’s parents are over the moon after their daughter earned a place in the sun when she broke Usha’s record and secured a medal hat-trick at the Asian Games. “Vithya told us last year that she was going to beat P T Usha’s record, and she delivered,” Meena, a native of Kannur (Kerala), recalled beaming with pride.
Her father R Ramraj (62) hopes she would win medals in the 2028 Olympics as well, notwithstanding her triple-medal glory (gold, silver, bronze) in Japan. “Winning three medals, including gold, is a moment of great pride, and she has brought honour to the nation,” Ramraj told TNIE when asked about the achievements of Vithya who also has a twin sister, Nithya.
“When they were two years old, they would run fast and hide behind trees or plants and wait for us to find them. It was difficult to catch them,” he said.
Living at Meenakshipuram in Valukkuparai panchayat, Ramraj initially farmed leased land before becoming a truck driver at a private firm.
“We moved to a rented house in Eachanari near a private school for their education, hoping to save money on transport and afford their tuition fees. We did not notice their talent when they were in primary sections.
After Class 5, we enrolled them at CSI Girls’ Higher Secondary School (aided). During school competitions, physical education teacher Baby recognised their talent in athletics and advised us to enrol them in the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) hostel for better training, where they could also study free of cost,” Ramraj said.
Paying heed to the advice, the parents admitted the twins to a hostel.
“We approached the SDAT Women’s Hostel in Erode; both of them qualified for admission through the selection process. Then they joined Class 7 at GTS Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School.
Impressed by their performance in athletics, the Sengunthar Higher Secondary School management admitted them to Class 11 and gave education free of cost. Similarly, Kongu Arts and Science College also admitted them, and they pursued BBA,” he added.
The twins also have an elder sister, Sathya R (30).
After finishing college, Vithya secured a job in the Railways, while Nithya joined the I-T department through sports quota. Simultaneously, they trained in Chennai and Punjab, represented the Indian team, and won medals in national and Asian competitions with the support of their coaches and governments.
Asking parents to encourage their children by identifying their talent, Ramraj said, “Someone told me I have three daughters, but I ignored their comments and gender bias.Now, they are doing well in life,” he said.
Speaking to TNIE over the phone, Vithya said, “When our parents admitted us to the SDAT hostel, we never expected or dreamed that we would reach this height. Last time, I missed out on the gold medal, but this time I won it and also managed to break the national record. If I can do it, others can too.”