From Living In A Cowshed To Winning Silver At 2014 Asian Games, Meet Khushbir Kaur

Remember Khushbir Kaur? The valiant Amritsar girl who made the nation proud with her silver medal win at the 2014 Asian games. Kaur brought glory to the country by becoming the first Indian woman to clinch the silver medal in 20 km Racewalk in the Asian Games.

With only one week left for the inauguration of Asian Games 2018, she has raised India’s hopes for a gold this time.

Her Struggle

Khushbir Kaur’s story is one worth inspiring thousands. Her story traces back to the time when Khushbir and her family of 5 had to live in a cowshed, finding it extremely challenging to meet both ends. Kaur lost her father, Balkar Singh at a tender age of six. Kaur’s self-made mother, Jasbir Kaur raised her children by selling milk and sewing clothes.

In 2008, Khushbir Kaur competed in the Junior National race walk barefoot as her family couldn’t afford shoes.

“It was only after Khushbir started winning medals and awards that we could afford a good meal. And after she won silver in the 20km race walk event at the 2014 Asian Games, we got a cemented roof over our heads,” said Jasbir to Times of India, recalling Khushbir’s first gift to her family post her win – a place they can call ‘home.’

In 2017, Kaur also received the Arjuna award, India’s second most prestigious honour in Sports. Talking to the Scroll, remembering the tough times of life, Kaur proudly said, “Of course, yes, this is a reward for the effort I have put in”. “But more than a thing, this award is for my coaches and for my family for all the struggles they have seen and gone through. A lot of credit goes to my coach Baldev Singh who gave me the push required on the junior stage.”

The Dream

Kaur never looked back after her first win. After her stellar performance in the Asian Games, in 2016, Kaur moved on to fulfil her long drawn dream of gouging her mark in the Olympics by securing the 54^th position in 20km race-walk, against all odds.

Determined to bring Gold to her Country, Khushbir is practising hard for her next big challenge in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as she revealed during her conversations with Scroll. Kaur claimed from her experience at the Olympics that one needs to prepare for at least 4-5 years for this kind of events. “It’s a step by step approach,” she quoted.

The Logical Indian take

The Logical Indian applauds Khusbhir Kaur for her undaunting grit and dedication which made her a champion from the shambles of a distressed early life. Her story testifies that small steps of faith and hard work will never fail you. Instead of sitting and blaming her unfortunate life circumstances, she took charge of her life and channelled her skills in a way that stands as an example for every person who wishes to follow and fulfil their dreams. The Logical Indian only wish her the best for future endeavours and hopes her achievements roar louder than ever.

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