HYDERABAD: At the tender age of eight, PDV Sahruda wears many hats. A student of Geetanjali High School in West Marredpally, the girl has set two world records, approved by Elite World Records LLC, USA. They are — Most Number of Origami Models (102) by an Individual (Minor-Female) in 20 minutes, and Most Number of Ceramic Tiles (350) Broken By An Individual (Minor-Female), in 20 minutes. The previous record in the ceramic tile category was 262, set by a North Korean record holder.
Says her mother, PSV Sailaja, “Sahruda has always been an observant child with good memory. She also thrives to be the best at whatever she does. She has been learning Karate for the past one year and she is a Green Belt. For the ceramic tile event, she practised breaking the tiles, which are 5 mm thick, with her teacher. She also attempted to break another record in colouring that day, for which she sat for five hours. Children seldom exhibit such patience and focus.”
The event was held at a city hotel last month. Says Sahruda: “I was trained in Origami by mother and the idea behind the record was to spread the message of a plastic-free society. The 102 models were made using paper and hands only, without the usage of glue.”
Apart from achieving such feats, Sahruda has taken up several extra-curricular activities without compromising on her academics. She learns painting, athletics, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, skating, abacus, robotics and ballet classes among others.
Given her varied interests, what does she want to be when she grows up? “I want to be an astronaut leading Indian Space Research Organisation to undiscovered charters like Mars, become a professional sports player preferably in tennis, and excel at ice skating too,” says the Class 3 student.
When asked if her daughter might get stressed by taking part in so many activities, Sailaja says: “My daughter is naturally inclined towards these activities. She does have her phone time and TV time, but if she is asked to de-stress, she prefers colouring. The future belongs to multi-tasking. If children are not taught to handle stress from a young age, they might fail to do so when they grow up.”