From earning Rs 5-10 at dangals, to becoming India's best racewalker: Olympian Sandeep's inspiring journey
With a long list of local legends to get inspired from, Haryana youth have chosen conventional sports. But Sandeep Kumar – who hails from Haryana’s Mahendragarh – opted for a not so popular sport and chose to be a racewalker.
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The 35-year-old’s decision has paid off for he will now be representing the country at Tokyo Olympics, which will be his second Games. Sandeep represented India in the 50km race walking event at the Rio Olympics and is a national level record holder in 20km and 50km. This time, he will be participating in the 20 km category and hopes for a much-improved show this time.
However, his journey has been nothing short of a roller coaster both on a personal as well as on the professional front. While speaking with MyKhel, Sandeep recalled his childhood as he lost his mother at an early age learnt how to strike a balance between home chores and his education.
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Youngest of the three siblings, Sandeep spent the least time with his mother before she left the mortal world, and said, “I was 7-years-old when I lost my mother. Since then it was never going to be a normal childhood for me. I used to work with my father in farms and looked after the cattle after attending school.”
