Know Your Athlete | Part 3 | Chanu Saikhom Mirabai

Chanu Saikhom Mirabai!! Clench this name to your memory. She has secured silver in the weightlifting-49 kg Category and has given India her first medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020.

All Hail Mirabai!

In part 3 of the Know your Athlete series will talk about this legend - Chanu Saikhom Mirabai -  India's first medal winner at Tokyo Olympics 2020

• Born in the beautiful city of Imphal, Mirabai learned weightlifting by lifting firewood from jungles.
• At the tender age of 12, she was able to lift weights much heavier than her brother! 
• Mirabai comes from a very humble family. Her father is a government employee and her mother is a shopkeeper. 
• Prior to winning this Olympic medal, Mirabai had won silver at the commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland.
• And in 2017, she became the second woman weightlifter after Karman Malleshwari to win gold by lifting 194Kg at the World weightlifting championship in the USA
• Tokyo Olympics Silver will surely be a relief and indeed a matter of great pride for her after finishing the Rio Olympics with the DNF (Did Not Finish) tag.
• Entire India is proud of this legend snd we wish her all the best in all her future endeavors
• Gold was won by Hou Zhihui of China. Mirabai Chanu lifted a total weight of 202 Kg and Hou lifted a total weight of 210 Kg

Read part 1 and part 2 of this series below where we have talked about KT Irfan & Neeraj Chopra- Other legends we can hope for medals from.

Neeraj Chopra- Javelin Throw

KT Irfan - (Men's 20km race walking

Depression Vs Sadness | Frank Fridays | Part 1

 Hello Everyone,

The last one year has been particularly challenging for all of us! Many of us lost our family members, close friends, and cherished colleagues! Also, During this last one year, one of the most neglected aspects has been Mental Health. Many of us aren't even sure what exactly mental health is.

With this new section in our blog, I along with a friend (who wishes to stay anonymous) and is currently healing from depression want to talk about mental health, depression, and is depression an illness? How is it different from sadness and grief? 

Let's Begin!

What depression actually is?

Depression is a mental illness characterized by persistent low mood and a decreased ability to engage with the world around you (e.g. decreased interest in activities that you usually love). While it is classified as a mental illness, it's symptoms aren't just in the mind- they are also felt physically, emotionally, and behaviourally

Symptoms of Depression

Mentally- Concertation difficulties, negative intrusive thoughts, believing you are worthless, suicidal thoughts, etc.

Physically- Sleep disturbances, appetite changes, extreme fatigue, stomach issues, low energy, and headaches 

Behaviourally- Social withdrawal, becoming unhinged from your "routine" (e.g. hygiene practices, sporting commitments), unhealthy coping behaviors, etc.

Emotionally- Numbness, Overwhelm, guilt, shame, despair, self-hatred, grief and hopelessness

What Depression is not?

Sadness -     Sadness is temporary, healthy emotion that is a response to a direct cause(e.g. nasty comment). Depression however is a complex mental illness that can last for years- the intensity of the symptoms fluctuate but it's presence can be constant ( felt even on one's "good days")

Grief - Grief is more intense sadness that is felt in response to a very painful event (e.g. passing of a loved one). Intense grief and loss can lead to depression, but still differs from depression in complexity, experience, and impact on day to day living ( especially when measured over a long timespan)

Other things depression is not!

An Excuse! -The symptoms of depression can cause significant disruption to day-to-day living. Accordingly, there are  times they must be accommodated for or attended to 

Something one chooses to get! -No one would choose to live with a deliberating illness that causes such intense suffering

Something you can snap out of! - If it was that easy there wouldn't be 350 million people in the world living with depression

Depression is a real illness with symptoms that can cause significant disruption to one's day to day life 

P.S: The texts in this post is not a substitute for a medical advice

Know Your Athlete | Part 2 | Neeraj Chopra

  Hi Everyone,

Today in part 2 of this series we will talk about Mr. Neeraj Chopra - India's best hope for gold. Neeraj will be participating in the Javelin Throw Category 

From being grossly overweight at the age of 12 (90 Kgs) to being a national record holder, Neeraj's story sure is an inspiring one

• Born in Khandra village in Panipat, Haryana, Neeraj had not even seen a javelin, let alone dream about being the pioneer in Indian athletics.
• But in 2016, the young legend came into the limelight by setting a world record in U20 IAAF World Championship (Javelin Throw) - 86.48m
• Neeraj also holds a national record of 88.06m - The record that helped him win gold in the Asian games of 2018
• Neeraj is also an Arjuna Award recipient and under the guidance of coach Uwe Hohn (one of the world's most renowned coaches and the only athlete to throw a javelin 100 metres or more, with his world record of 104.80 m), we can certainly hope for a medal from this champ.
• Neeraj at present is also a Commissioned Indian Army Officer.

Read part 1 of this series below where we have talked about KT Irfan -A national record holder in race walking

KT Irfan - (Men's 20km race walking)

Know your Athlete | Part 1 | K T Irfan |

 Hi Everyone,

In this series, I will talk about some of the athletes participating in Tokyo Olympics. Feel free to share any other fact about any of the participating athletes that you would want me to publish. 

First in the series is :

Mr. Kolothum Thodi Irfan Alias KT Irfan - (Men's 20km race walking)

KT Irfan

• KT Irfan was the first Indian track and field athlete to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in March 2019.
• Tokyo Olympics will be his second Olympics outing after the 2012 London games. In London Olympics, he had finished 10th at 1:20:21 which to date remains a national record.
• Coming from a modest background, Kolothum Thodi Irfan is a son of a daily wage earner, When he qualified for London Olympics in 2012, he did not even have proper race walking shoes. Actor Mohan Lal has supported him back then.
• He had recorded 1:20:21 in London while the Chinese bronze medalist has recorded 1:19:25. This Olympics season KT Irfan sure is looking better and fitter and India can surely hope for a medal from this legend!
• Irfan at present is also a Non commissioned Indian Army Officer.

Be the Sky

Burns with sun and a thousand stars.
Yet untired and without any scars.

Those tears, those pearls say the stories of countless pain.
We soothe, we relax and call it rain.

Under its umbrella,a civilization was born.
Protecting them is my duty,an oath was sworn.

Hurdles came and hurdles went.
It stood there firm without any dent.

A sheer miracle that nature creates.
A story, an inspiration it forever states.

Wanna be something?Be the sky.
Forever you shall live and never again you will die.

-A Common Man

A Common Man's First Post

Hello Everyone

A common man here, Yes you won't find anything different here,
It will just be similar to a day that a common man lives.His aspirations, his dreams, his interests,his hobbies,his creativity etc.

The purpose of starting this blog is that every human being who has struggled shouldn't feel alone.He should know that many others similar to him face the exact same struggle and nobody is doing anything to change it.

If I could even inspire a single person to bring a change in the society we live,the purpose of this blog will be fulfilled.

Hope I will be able to do justice to my work

Don't Underestimate the power of a common man

-A Common Man