Mirabai Chanu, who has won the first medal for India at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020, did not have it all easy for her. Chanu is a woman of her words. After winning the medal she thanked all those who have supported her in her dreams to come true and had expressed her wish to reward those truck drivers who gave her a lift to her training academy back in the day.
She showed her gratitude by treating around 150 truck drivers and helpers with a shirt, a Manipuri scarf and a full meal lunch.
And today, she has fulfilled her promise. Mirabai met the truckers and broke down in gratitude. Her dream of becoming a weightlifter came to reality because of these truckers who helped her catch a train, she said.
Chanu’s village Nongpok Kakching is more than 25 km from the Sports Academy in Manipur's capital Imphal. Due to lack of funds, truckers used to take her every day for many years.
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The 26 years Olympian lifted a total of 202 kg at the Tokyo Olympics to win a silver for India.
It was difficult to find transport during her training days. Coming from an underprivileged background and lack of funds, it was not possible to find private transport to reach the training academy in Imphal.
“I wanted to see the truckers who provided me regular lifts from home to the training centre and seek their blessing. They helped me during my hard times of training. I’m looking for those sand-carrying truckers so that I can try to extend whatever help they may require now,” Chanu said while speaking to Hindustan Times.
A filmmaker and farmer, Naorem Mohen shared the delightful news on Twitter, with pictures of Mirabai Chanu and those truckers and wrote that Chanu has found those truck drivers and is doing whatever she could to help them.
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Mirabai has spoken about her struggles and those difficult times she has gone through to reach the place where she is now. Her modesty and hard work have won hearts.
This shows that if humans come together in support of each other, many impossible hurdles can be overcome.