New Delhi: With her latest win, Mirabai Chanu, the Indian weightlifter has left everyone astounded and proud. She has emerged as an inspiration and the motivation to be in sport for thousands of women across the nation.
Her exceptional win depicts her belief in rebellious optimism and seeing possibilities of not just being a weightlifter but also uplifting her community through the power of sport. And with this spirit of rebelliousness, she has created a ripple which has inspired women to not shy away from weightlifting. The world has always associated weightlifting as a sport for men, where women do not belong, despite the norm, Mirabai chose what she felt was her strength and passion and took it as a challenge and saw the possibilities of breaking this norm and so-called bias.
During her visit to the adidas store at The Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj, Mirabai met young girls from the weightlifting community in Delhi, and spent time hearing out their aspirations, the challenges they face and what inspired them to take up weightlifting as a sport. She concluded the conversation by motivating the young girls by sharing her journey and experiences including many high and lows.
At the adidas store, Mirabai Chanu said, “My journey from a remote village to representing our country at an international sporting event, clearly showcases that sport doesn’t care about gender or stereotypes. In our society, weightlifting has always been perceived as a male dominated sport, it took a lot of courage and hard work to break such stereotypes. I want women to dream and believe in themselves to be able to see possibilities”.
On Mirabai’s recent victory, Sunil Gupta, Senior Director, brand adidas, India said, “We are extremely proud of Mirabai’s success, and it gives us immense pleasure to be a part of her incredible journey. Our aim is to enable all athletes including our partners to achieve their “impossible”by providing them with the best products in training and competition. I hope her success inspires young girls to believe in their dreams and see possibilities of fulfilling them.”
With her recent win, Mirabai has become the flagbearer of making the impossible possible for young girls and women across the country, inspiring them to be fearless and take to sport.
