Zazo: Bhagyashree Sawant is an athlete and a cyclist…i should write that cycling is in her blood, She successfully grabbed many medals and trophies, This 16 year Mumbai girl is also having blue belt in karate. She has a long story of success in a small age, I am going to ask this sports freak how she did all this in such a young age…but let me welcome her first on Orkut’s Hall of Fame.

Welcome Bhagyashree to orkut’s hall of fame!

How is your practice going on?

Bhagyashree: Well For everyone the day starts at 7:00hrs or 8:00 hrs…But my day begins early in the morning at 4:00hrs…For some people its late nite 4. I leave my house at 4:30hrs for cycling..When half the Mumbai is sleeping. Its a total fun getting outta your house on the silent streets of Mumbai…which you can hardly see. then be back home at 7:00, when people say good morning. Monday , Wednesday, Friday evening reserved for Karate practice. Tuesday, Thursday Saturday reserved for athletics practice. Monday and saturday again for Rifle shooting!!

Zazo: Bhagyashree please tell us your family background, since when you are into athletics and how the passion for sports developed in you?

Bhagyashree: About my family background.. we are three of us-My dad, my mom and me. I was a little studious girl. My mom works in M.D college. Her college kabaddi sir, Mr. Rajesh Padave, invited me to join their practice and I did so. That time onwards I had little affection towards sports. It was time for Olympics, watching the television I wondered “WHY CAN’T I BE THERE?”. so my mom sent me to a athletics camp in the summer vacation under guidance of Mr. Datta Chavan(who is a chatrapati puraskar winner). He gave me his best service. He is a God Father to me. TMC was the athletics club at thane. My dad did not allow me to go there as I stayed very far from that place. But I had my mom who always supported me saying that”GO FOR IT DEAR”. She supported me in my victories and in my defeats. She always geared me up saying “NO PROBLEM, STRUGGLE HARD NEXT TIME”. The passion of sports developed in me at 13yrs of age. My development grew fast because I normally competited with boys, due to which I always gave a tuff time.

Zazo: What are the different categories of events comes under athletics and what are those events which you participate in?

Bhagyashree: Athletics is a sport which is based on stamina, Speed and Power.
You can classify it into four parts as to your convenience, viz. Long distance, Sprints, Jumps and throwing events.
LONG DISTANCE normally contains or running events which are measured in kilometers. any distance above 800m falls in this category. E.g 2000mtrs, 5000mtrs, Marathons, Steeple chase, etc….and this needs a lot of stamina.

SPRINTS are generally related to speed. They are of very short distance and you always need to give your best timing/performance over here.E.g 100mtrs, 200mtrs, 800mtrs, Hurdles, etc

JUMPS- this category is actually to test how long or high you can take your body. Its requires power in your calf muscles. E.g Long jump, High jump, Triple jump, etc.

THROWING EVENTS- to check the arm power you can say. Its a test related to the power you can exert with a particular weight. E.g Javelin throw, Shot put, Discuss throw, Hammer throw, etc

Moreover you have RELAYS which is a team efforts evnt. Where your speed and the co-ordination between the team players is tested.

My event:: I am a sprinter, my main event is Hurdles, i even participate in long jump and relays

Zazo: What are your achievements? I know you have a cupboard full of prizes and awards..can you please tell me the details. Your 1st win and your last till now.

Bhagyashree: My very 1st win was in October 2004, in hurdles. I just participated there as luck, just because i wanted to try something new and that too was without training. My last win was in December7 2007, in a cycling meet at worli seaface.

Zazo: How you manage your studies while busy in trainings and tournaments? how much supportive are your parents and teachers on this?

Bhagyashree: I always got a positive approach from my father for studies and from my mother for sports. About my teachers it hardly matters, unless and until my books, home works, journals were complete they did not have any problem with that. But I never got time to do these stuff. A great thanks to my school friends. They knew about my daily routine and even that i never had time to complete my notes. I always carried an empty bag home and in school. My friends took all my books, journals,etc. home, got those completed gave them to me in class and then again at the end of the school they took it back. So my teachers were always satisfied with me. About my studies, due to sports my concentration and grasping power had increased a lot. due to which even if I read a matter thrice I could nicely compose it in my own words or language. A huge honour to my principal Fr.Karlos Dias and even the Church Manager and Trustee Fr.Simon Pinto, who always supported me for sports and studies. It was obvious for them to shout at me whenever I did something wrong. But I deserved it so never ever I felt angry on them. Their teachings alsio helped me a lot. The day I’d become successful I would first thank them. My school principal never hesitated to give me leave for sports. Did not get any obstacle in my sports and educational career from my school. My sports teacher Mr.Stanley Louis and Mrs. Shubhalaxm Patil always gave a supporting hand. Even our lab incharge Mohan sir cheered me up. Not only them but also Mala aunty, Giridhar uncle, Ramu uncle, Goda bai, school watchman and all the other peons of my school always gave me the due moral support. My teachers, Rajni D., Margaret P., Margaret D., Anamma G., Geetanjali K., Seema tr,Anthony S., Christabel R.(my main idol), Nirmala V., Sumati tr, Jadhav sir, H.Singh ,Tripta T., Susan K., Babette S., Reena S., D. Ghevade, Sudha M., Prita M., Shshma K., Naina K., Glady’s, Marcelene mam, Harsha J., Baliram kaka, Jyotsna and each and evry person who always supported me also helped me. THANK YOU ALL

Zazo: Name your favourite sportsmen or sportswomen by whom you highly inspired and motivated.

Bhagyashree: #1 Rachita Mistry:>:>:>: We hardly know her. But friends lemme tell you one thing this lady got a silver medals for India in 100m Run during the early 90’s at the Asian championship that too a fracture in her leg, she realized the fracture a month after she god a silver for India. One more thing if you guys think that P.T USHA rocks then you are absolutely wrong. This lady defeated P.T Usha at Japan.

#2 Lance Armstrong:>:>:>: The man who started the armstrong band. This guy is having Cancer and he’z supossed to be the world no.1 cyclist. His spirit and efforts have been honoured at Madame Tussauds also. Who can believe that he’s got cancer!!Not atleast me. He’s my hero.

#3 Sachin Tendulkar:>:>:>: Now when I say Sachin Tendulkar it does not mean that he inspired me in cricket. I read his biography, he actually comes from a low background, then later on with his efforts and talent he………..I need not say anything else about him …everything is in front of the world. He’s got many injuries but he has never ever left his passion”CRICKET”. and thats the reason why he inspires me.

Zazo: Bhagyashree how do you compare athletics in India from other countries who produce quality athletes like U.S and Europe? Do you think that India is lacking in this sport?

Bhagyashree: Well when you come to comparison then actually we are lacking little behind. It depends on how we train. We have our food daily in the same way people from Europe or any western country. but the main benefit for them is their climate and developed tracks. In India we have about 15 to 20 synthetic tracks. Whereas all other are mud tracks. So the daze is that we can use the synthetics track throughout the year, but then in rainy season mud tracks become marshy and all that kind of stuff. Moreover a person gets well trained when he is getting trained in a chilled climate. The reason behind this is that during cool climate we need to work harder and harder to keep our body warm due to which we have to put more efforts to get our self trained. On addition we don’t have any indoor stadium, while you’ve got many indoor stadiums in western countries. This infact inspires athletes to get themselves trained. And in India due to the changing climate if leads to little laziness. This is the little difference. About one’s training, the ratio of Indian athletes and foreign goes 1:2. If we train for 2hrs, then they train for 2hrs in the morning as well as in the evening. There are very few athletes who train for 4hrs daily.

But its not that we are lacking behind. We are infact putting our best efforts. According to me athletes should be given more privileges just like they are given to cricketers. This is actually a partial greedy way in my language but this will make them put more efforts.
As compared to now, Cricket is progressing just because of its publicity and the over privileges. Little in that way would help the athletes.

Zazo: Any upcoming tournaments you are going to participate in?

Bhagyashree: Tournaments that too in this sun. Nowadays. There are hardly any people who conduct tournaments at this temperature. You can call this as an Off Season for sports. Most of the Athletic meets take place in winter. You’ve got a Thane Varsha Marathon this rainy season. Donno the exact date.
The upcoming meets that I’m gonna participate are
#1 International Karate Fight which will be held in Nepal from 21st to the 27th May.
#2 Cycling Race on 15th August
These are few of what I am aware right now. There are many more meets. But we are normally informed about that a week ago.

Zazo: Bhagyashree what are your hobbies, likes and dislikes in general..how is your social life? Do you hang out with friends often?

Bhagyashree: Hobbies!!
COLLECTING STAMPS, COLLECTING CURRENCIES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS, ANTIQUES, COLLECTING TROPHIES AND MEDALS…

Likes!!
CHOCOLATE, MEXICAN PIZZA, ANIMALS, NATURE, COLORS, BOOKS, ADVENTURES, VOYAGES(I love travelling), MUSICING ALL KIND OF STUFF, ANTIQUES, DREAMING BUT STAYING IN REALITY………and many ore strange things

Dislikes!!
PEOPLE WITH AMPLE OF ATTITUDE, BACK STABBING, NAMESAKE FRIENDS, EVERY THING THAT HARMS NATURE, EGO, GRUMPINESS

FRIENDS…….LIFE WITHOUT THEM IS A TOTAL MESS. I LOVE HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS. MORE THAN THAT I LOVE FREAKING OUT WITH THEM. WHILE I AM WITH THEM I AM IN MY OWN WORLD, I SHOUT, SCREAM, YELL ON THE ROAD, THATS BECAUSE I HAVE A “WHO CARES?????” ATTITUDE
BUT SOMETIMES WHEN I GET LITTLE SENTIMENTAL I LOVE TO BE ALONE. AT THIS TIME I BE ON THE EARTHS CORNER WHERE I HOPE NO ONE CA N FIND ME.

Zazo: What is your goal in life? want to be into sports or you thought something different?

Bhagyashree: Since I was 3yrs young I wished to become a PILOT. That was just because all my uncles are related to AVIATION stream. So I was inspired by them. As I grew up I got to know more about aviation. Just being a pilot wasn’t the perfect aim. You’ve even got types of PILOT & PILOT LICENCE. So I started growing up collecting pictures of Planes, plane accidents, cutting regarding everything related to aviation. Through all this stuff I got to know that there are three types of Pilot viz. STUDENT PILOT, PRIVATE PILOT, COMMERCIAL PILOT. Then I decided my perfect aim of becoming about COMMERCIAL PILOT. At the age of 13 I started my sports career, then taking sports more seriously I achieved a good post. So I got one more target. To be a good sports person. Now i aim to be the best. But then at the same time I didn’t forget my very first aim, n inshallah I wont even forget it at all. Just because I got a new aim, its very mean t forget my first aim which is a decade elder to my second aim.
Hence I got to aims, mind diverted, concentration diverted…….. People usually tell me that I can’t complete my both the aims. But I will do it. I will show the world that nothing is IMPOSSIBLE & will even tell them that every thing has importance…will even clear the mis-concept in peoples mind who say thats sports is just a time=pass or a way to remain fit. Having an aim is good, but having two completely different aims, which in any way are not related to each other is a total fun. Check it out friends I you don’t believe!

Zazo: Thank you bhagyashree for giving your precious time and making this interview successful. It was really an amazing conversation, wish you a great luck!! Hope to see you leading India internationally.

Bhagyashree: Thanks a lot

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