BENGALURU: Chandramma K, a 14-year-old who bagged gold in the 200-metre and 400-metre dash at a recent cluster-level event, began sprinting for the fun of it.
Abandoned by her parents, Chandramma was seven when the police who found her begging on the streets of Marathahalli with her brother.
They handed her over the Child Welfare Society, which entrusted her to Annapoorna Charitable Trust. She is currently a Class 7 student at Balya Vidya Mandir, a school run by the trust.
Soon after she began her schooling at this institution, the seven-year-old sprinted for the first time at a cluster-level competition, bagging a gold in the 100-metre dash. Around 23 schools took part in the event. “I casually participated and won the race,” she told City Express.
After that, there was no looking back. She went on to win the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres events at the taluk level competition at Kanteerava Stadium last year. And at 14, Chandramma, defying all odds, won a gold in GAIL — The Fastest Indian Event of 2015-2016.
Tears rolled down her cheeks when she was asked about her parents, whom she has not seen for seven years. “I want to do well in sports and, if possible, meet them and take good care of them,” said the runner.
She now takes care of her brother Narasimha, who is the age she was when the police rescued her. The boy wants to take after his sister. “I am happy to see her run. I will also win medals like her,” he said.
Chandramma wants to follow in the footsteps of P T Usha, the Indian track and field athlete and hopes to represent the country. For now, she is training hard to make her mark at the upcoming district-level sports meet.
The teen has also tried her hand at shotput, and clinched a gold in a cluster-level competition. She was also part of the school kabaddi team, which won.
Chandramma’s day starts at 5.30 am. She trains at Bangalore University ground before school. By 4 pm, she is back at the ground to train for two more hours. She has had no formal training to aid her dash to glory.