“Where there is a will there is a way.” This proverb fits perfectly with Indian female athletes, who have made a splash in the field of sports, despite various obstacles. The year 2021 saw Indian female athletes lead the way as the contingent returned from Tokyo with its best ever show at an Olympics. adidas strives to create new possibilities for women with its greatest ever commitment to innovation, athletes and future generations. This time by inspiring the next generation of female athletes to keep pushing boundaries and pushing for change, investing in grassroots programs. With the ‘Impossible is Nothing’ campaign, adidas aims to create new opportunities for women in sport. Tokyo Games winners Lovlina Borgohain and Mirabai Chanu joined a special show on DailyExpertNews, along with emerging long jumper Shaili Singh and adidas’ Aparna Wahi, to talk about female athletes who achieved global success despite various odds and prove that “impossible is nothing” for these sportswomen.
Mirabai Chanu, who won a silver medal in the 49kg women’s weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics, shared why she started the sport and how she got help from truck drivers to reach her training facility.
“I didn’t start lifting weights to prove anything to anyone. I did it to help myself, the sport and my family grow. Impossible is nothing is a very important philosophy to us. It means we can achieve almost anything we want .”
“In any case, I never gave up. I covered about 25 kilometers for my training. Since there were no buses or taxis from my house to the training center early in the morning, I asked for help from the trucks on the road in front of my home from 4. Games gold medalist.
Lovlina Borgohain, who became only the second Indian female boxer after the legendary Mary Kom to win an Olympic medal, also spoke of her arduous journey to success.
“I had started martial arts, but I knew the sport of boxing. The sport was not that developed in the Northeast when I started it. There were no facilities or infrastructure. I started in 2012 and there was no boxing facility there.
“I had come to the sport with the dream of becoming an Olympian. It was difficult to stay away from home at first. I was told to train for 3-4 years and participate in the Olympics and come back home Even I always thought about doing that.
“But slowly I learned that it was possible to make a career in the sport. I trained all day and believed that everything was possible, because it was also considered impossible to get out of a small village and reach what I did. I continue to believe that anything is possible and look at things positively,” said Borgohain, who won bronze in Tokyo.
Shaili Singh, a promising long jumper who won a silver medal at the U20 World Championships last year, also spoke about the obstacles she has faced. Shaili, who trains with Indian long jumper Anju Bobby George, spoke about the sacrifices she and her mother have made to achieve success in the sport.
“There were problems early in life. My mother found it difficult to run the house. She learned tailoring to support the family and even my uncle joined in. When I showed an interest in sports, it was difficult at first to buy shoes. to pay , so I ran barefoot.
“But my mother gave me the strength in that phase. She always told me that one day I will have my shoes and even now she is my biggest inspiration,” said Shaili.
The German sportswear giant adidas has been supporting these athletes for several years and helping them achieve their dreams.
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“At adidas, ‘Impossible is Nothing’ is an attitude. It’s something we live by and believe in. I have the moment now. There are three great athletes sitting next to us and there is no better time to speak. By their own stories we can see that they have created possibilities for themselves.
“Their inspiring stories are what will bring change in society. Sport is our past, present and future and we truly believe that women are at the forefront right now,” said Aparna Wahi, Director, Business Development, at adidas as he spoke about the campaign “Impossible is nothing”.
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