A girl who ran away from electricity shortages and buzzing mosquitoes, won a billion hearts.
Meet women’s field hockey captain Rani Rampal
Mental health is a trending topic in private schools, Reddit groups, stories on Instagram, Facebook posts and lately in Olympics.
I had written about Naomi Osaka taking a break from the media appearance because she could. As Olympics started, we saw Simone Biles took a break from competing and then return to the competition to win a bronze medal.
Then I came across the story of Rani Rampal, a normal girl whose dreams were too big to afford mental health break. [if you are do not agree with this statement, I invite you to come on a trip to any part of the world where the cost of 3 organic bananas is someone’s daily wage]
Let’s hear from the one such superwoman Rani Rampal, Indian woman’s Hockey team captain.
“I wanted an escape from my life from the electricity shortages, the mosquitoes buzzing in our ear when we slept, from barely having two square meals to seeing our home getting flooded when it rained. My parents tried their best, but there was only so much they could do-Papa was. cart puller and Mas worked as 2 maids.
There was a hockey academy near my home, so 1'd spend hours watching players practice really wanted to play. Paps would earn Rupees 80 a day and couldn’t afford to buy me a stick. Every day, I’d ask the coach to teach me too. He’d reject me because I was malnourished. He’d say, You aren’t strong enough to pull through 3 practice sessions”
So, found s broken hockey stick on the field and began practising with that~I didn’t have training clothes, so I was running around in a salwar kameez. But I was determined to prove myself. I begged the coach for a chance ~maine bahut mushkil se convince kiya unko finally! [I convinced him with after lots of pleading]
But when I told my family, they said, ‘Ladkiya ghar ka kaam hi karti hai’ and Hum tumhe skirt pehen kar khelne nahi denge’ [Girls work at home and we wont let you play in a skirt] I’d plead with them saying, Please mujhe jaane do. if I fail, I will do whatever you want My family reluctantly gave in.
Training would start early in the morning. We didn’t even have a clock, so mom would stay up and look at the sky to check if it was the right time to wake me.
At the academy, it was mandatory for each player to bring 500 ml of milk. My family could only afford milk worth 200 ml, without telling anyone, I would mix the milk with water and drink it because | wanted to play.
My coach supported me through thick and thin; he’d buy me hockey kits and shoes. He even allowed me to live with his family and took care of my dietary needs. I’d train hard and wouldn’t miss a single day of practice.
I remember earning my first salary; I won Rs.500 after winning 2 tournaments and gave the money to Papa. He hadn’t ever held so much money in his hands before. promised my family, one day, we’re going to have our own home, I did everything in my power to work towards that. After representing my state and playing n several championships, I finally got a national call up at the age of 15! Still, my relatives would only ask me when I was planning on getting married. But Papa told me, ‘Play until your heart’s content.’ With my family’s support, I focused on doing my best for India and eventually, became captain of Indian hockey.
Soon after, while I was at home, my father’s friend visited us. He brought along, his granddaughter and told me, ‘She’s inspired by you and wants to become a hockey player” I was so happy just started crying.
And then in 2017, finally fulfilled the promise | made to my family and bought them home. We cried together and held each other tightly! I’m not done yet; this year, I’m determined to repay them and Coach with something they’ve always dreamed of a gold medal from Tokyo.”
Just see how hard people work to succeed.
Excerpt credit: MPL Sports Foundation