#Show Us More Athletes Who Look Like Me

Women athletes are breaking boundaries and overtaking the score boards in sports today. In support of Dove’s Project #ShowUs that’s here to bring a radical shift in the way women and girls are represented, we celebrate the battles and triumphs of four female achievers, and embody the heroes they are

- Radhika Sen

RUTAPARNA PANDA,

BADMINTON PLAYER

It was her father’s unfulfilled dreams of becoming a sportsperson that spurred Rutaparna Panda to take up badminton at the tender age of nine. She would watch him play as a child, and it immediately sparked her interest in the sport. Her dedication to badminton was unshakeable right from the start. She would wake up every day at the crack of dawn to set out for her coaching classes, which was nearly 30 km away from her house. This turned out to be her daily commute for years.

Her dreams came true when she was selected by the coaches of Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy for professional coaching. She immediately responded and joined the academy. Within a few months, she put out her best performance under the guidance of her coach Pullala Gopichand, and others at the academy.

While her father was always by her side, there were members in her family who were skeptical of her decision to dedicate most of her time to badminton, instead of concentrating on her studies. But once she started playing well, the young athlete won them over.

Although there were times when people questioned her parent’s decision to “let a girl play”, she didn’t pay heed to any of that. Instead, the young player continued believing in herself and worked tirelessly towards realizing her dreams of doing her country proud.

All that hard work finally paid off when Rutaparna got selected to be part of the national team at the Asian Games, last year. She even represented the country at the Hellas Open, where she won her first ever international title, followed by prestigious trophies at various national level tournaments.

The 19-year-old player has always looked up to athletes like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu and believes that women are capable of excelling in sports.

DIVYA DHAYAL, ARCHER