In a country like India, which is dominated by cricket, athletes following other sports don’t get a fair chance to prove their mettle and make it big. However, amidst the frenzy around cricket, there also exists a different pedigree of athletes. They follow their heart and put up a brave fight to excel in the game they are passionate about. Aanchal Thakur is one such crusader. The 21-year old from Manali has created history by becoming the first ever Indian to win an international medal in skiing.

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When we talk about skiing in India, it is considered more as a leisure activity than a winter sport. How Aanchal was able to see the snow-laden slopes as her battleground to touch glory is a story filled with inspiration and awe. Let’s learn from her amazing feat as she walked the thin ice to claim the first ever Indian medal in skiing in Turkey.

Do what you love and success will follow

The girl from a small village near Manali created big ripples when she grabbed a bronze medal in the slalom race category of the Alpine Ejder 3200 Cup in Turkey.

It shows how Aanchal dedicatedly followed her passion without thinking about success, which came to her eventually. The important lesson for all of us is to do what we really love without thinking about results.

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Sharpen skills with the right mentoring

Roshan Thakur, father of Aanchal and the secretary general of the Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) was the one who introduced her to skiing. Later on, Aanchal trained under Mr. Heera Lal, a former Olympian, to further sharpen her skills.

When the Indian government released the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, which caters to more than 100 athletes for their training costs and a monthly stipend, it was disappointing that it didn’t include even a single winter sports athlete.

Aanchal’s family took the onus to fund her training and kept their faith in their talented daughter. Illustrating the importance of having the right guidance and support, the lesson is for parents to put their faith in what their children want to achieve and encourage them to reach it. So if you too want to pursue an MBA or MCA course, speak to your parents and advisors about your passion for the subject, and go ahead to give it your all.

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Never say die attitude

Aanchal injured her hand and was nauseous just two days before the race. She was skeptical about her participation in the competition. She wanted to give up midway after being knocked out in the first round, and again struggled in the second round. However, she mustered all her courage and rose up again to turn things in her favour.  In her own words “It was an extremely difficult race, I just wanted to complete the course, but was absolutely delighted and surprised to see that I had won a medal.”

Don’t give up when all the doors seem to shut in front of you. Work even harder to make it happen. So if you have scored low marks in your MBA or BBA course, just pull up your socks, work hard, and success will surely follow.

You can do it too

Students who don’t have the privilege to study in big colleges should not give up on their dreams. If you have the right passion, you can enroll in distance education courses in Bangalore or perhaps even a correspondence college in Mumbai and add an invaluable degree to your resume’, while having the time to pursue other interests like skiing, cricket or even music.