Life lessons from Neeraj Chopra’s spectacular Olympic triumph at Tokyo

By Pradyumna Sharma

In the Tokyo Olympics, India showcased its best-ever performance and made a tally of seven medals! Beating the previous count of six – medals at the 2012 London games, this was the highest-ever number of medals that the country had won at the Olympics, and it’s safe to say that this is nothing short of an extraordinary feat by the country’s sportspersons.

The Tokyo Olympics became a huge deal for India, not only because India bagged seven shining Olympic medals but also because one of them was a shimmering gold medal, courtesy Neeraj Chopra.

Chopra stepped out with an unmatched swagger at the Tokyo Olympics and performed in a way that demolished his competitors and ensured that he clinched a gold medal for India.

Getting to know the champion

The exploits of Neeraj Chopra, who made India proud by winning a gold medal in athletics in the quadrennial sporting extravaganza, are still imprinted on everyone’s mind. And why shouldn’t they be! It was indeed an extraordinary feat. The 23-year-old star javelin thrower made a historic win and clinched the country’s maiden Olympic medal in athletics on August 7, 2021. His outstanding performance put an end to the country’s 121-year wait for an athletics medal. His best throw of 87.58 metre guaranteed his win and a place in the history books.

Chopra became the second individual Olympic gold medallist after shooter Abhinav Bindra, who bagged gold in Beijing in 2008, and the first-ever Indian athlete to win gold. medals in the Olympics.

The success story of the champ

Neeraj Chopra was born in Khandra village of Panipat, Haryana, on 24^th December 1997.

Winning a GOLD medal is never easy for anyone in the biggest sporting event such as the Olympics. It was not easy for Neeraj Chopra also. To fully focus on this sport, he switched off his phone one year before the Tokyo Olympics.

He turned on his phone whenever he wanted to contact his family. He was fully disconnected from social media platforms. For some time, he didn’t even have a coach. But as it is said, the one who finds the solution for problems, is known as the winner. He made the Internet his coach and mentor. He used to find tips and tricks to be a perfect javelin thrower in the same way that Eklavya made a statue of his teacher Dronacharya.

In his childhood, young Neeraj was a mischievous child. He was very fond of milk and clarified butter, and that’s why he was a bit on the heavier side. His grandmother made him have food rich in protein, so that became stronger. But he became so fat that his friends teased him. His family was also worried about his obesity. At the age of 13, his uncle sent him to a stadium for running. He went there to regain fitness. But one day, he saw some children older than him throwing the javelin. He wanted to emulate them. And that point began the rise of the champion gold medallist.

From his story, we should also get motivated towards attaining fitness. In any problem, try to find a solution just like Neeraj Chopra did. That is why he is an inspiring Olympic champion.