Chanu Saikhom Mirabai is an Indian weightlifter who will be competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But her road to the Olympics was not an easy one. In fact, it almost didn’t happen at all.
Born into a poor family in Manipur, India, Chanu had to drop out of school when she was just 12 years old to help support her family. She began working in the fields, but it quickly became apparent that manual labor was not for her. “I would get tired so easily,” she says. “I used to feel so weak.”
Then, one day, she saw some weightlifters training at a local gym and was immediately intrigued. She convinced the coach to let her train with them, and the rest is history. Now, just 8 years later, Chanu is an Olympian. She is living proof that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible!
Chanu’s Early Life
Chanu Saikhom Mirabai was born on September 5th, 1994, in the small town of Nongpok Sekmai in Manipur, India. She comes from a very poor family; her father is a farmer and her mother is a homemaker. When Chanu was just 12 years old, she had to drop out of school to help support her family financially. So she began working in the fields alongside her parents.
“It was very hard work,” she says. “I would get tired so easily. I used to feel so weak.” Her parents could see that manual labor was taking a toll on their daughter’s health, so they encouraged her to find something else to do. That’s when Chanu discovered weightlifting.
A New Passion
One day, while walking home from work, Chanu spotted some weightlifters training at a local gym and stopped to watch them. She was Immediately fascinated by their strength and agility. After watching them for a while, she mustered up the courage to approach the coach and ask if she could train with them. The coach was hesitant at first, but after seeing how determined Chanu was, he agreed to let her join the team.
That decision changed Chanu’s life forever. From that day forward, she dedicated herself to weightlifting; she even moved into the gym so she could train more hours each day! And all of that hard work paid off—just 8 years later, Chanu qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games!
Chanu Saikhom Mirabai: An Inspiration to Us All
Chanu’s story is an inspiration to us all—no matter what our circumstances may be, we can achieve anything we set our minds to! With dedication and hard work, anything is possible! Thank you for sharing your story with us, Chanu! We can’t wait to see you compete in Tokyo!
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