IN her quest for Anju Bobby George's national record of 6.83-metre in Athens 2004, long jumper Ancy Sojan has faced roadblocks in the form of injuries. The last 18 months for the 24-year-old has been a roller coaster ride. From going into depression to jumping her personal best of 6.71m at Bengaluru in 2024, shows how strong she is mentally. And this is what she would need when she competes at the Asian Athletics Championship (AAC) in Gumi, South Korea later this month. This is her second Asian meet after she debuted at the 25th edition in 2023.
With the Asian athletics event just about a week away, an upbeat Ancy is raring to go. She feels the exposure tours would help in her preparations. "The two competitions in the UAE, (Grand Prix and Women's Gala), were good preparation for this tournament and hopefully for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo (later this year). The main preparation for the Asian meet started before the Federation Cup last month. These tours helped me rectify my mistakes and the season best is the 'comeback' for this year," she told The New Indian Express. She jumped 6.54m at the UAE Athletics Women's Gala on May 11.
To get her ticket to the worlds in Tokyo, Ancy has set her eyes on improving her rankings. Right now her rank is 43 and Ancy is eying to climb to beyond 36 on the Race to Tokyo ranking chart. "The direct qualification mark is set at 6.86m. With where I am, getting a rank better than 36 will be my target," she added.
After that silver medal at Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, the year 2024 couldn't have gone worse for Ancy. The injuries in her left ankle in January last year sidelined her for six weeks and the tear in her quadriceps on the right thigh in March meant she was off training for three months. She recalled her key learning from the three-month long injury. "That tear put me into depression," she said. "That's why I started my season in 2024 very late. I contemplated skipping the entire season. My measured rehabilitation saw fruition, after that 6.71m leap at the 63rd National Open championships in Bengaluru, in addition to 6.50m jumps in previous competitions I knew it doesn't matter if I fail or win. I just wanted to have a good mindset and just do it."
That personal best leap has taken her out of the toughest period and brought her much needed belief.
When quizzed about the change in intensity of training post-injury, Ancy said she takes extra care of 'every joint and muscles.' "I am happy that I am getting better and better every time we are getting on the track. The injuries were not because of the intensity rather because of the angles of my run. I was restricted to the gym and cycling for a month. Now, whenever I am on track, I listen to my body with my music to settle myself in," she elucidated.
A rejuvenated version of an athlete who is known for mental resilience is someone to watch out for. Ancy has learnt how to handle doubts. "When I don't do well people will talk and that spreads. If I win, they will congratulate me. So only the genuine people will support in the highs and lows also," she signed off