Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveYash Aradhya: Formula 4 racer speeding towards victory

Yash Aradhya: Formula 4 racer speeding towards victory

Written by: Charu Thakur

(March 18, 2023) He stood tall and proud as former President Ram Nath Kovind gave him the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in 2020. Awarded for his exceptional contribution to motorsports, Formula 4 racer Yash Aradhya has what it takes to surge past the chequered flag.

Yash was just nine when he first began training, and now a decade later, he is at the threshold of a spectacular career. The 20-year-old, who is currently studying in the Netherlands, is among the new stars rising up in the world of racing. “It’s such a great time to be in motorsports. A lot of new talent is venturing into it, and many new opportunities are opening up for us in India,” Yash tells Global Indian.

The boy, who had a podium finish at the X1 Racing League, has participated in the 2020 French Formula F4. Till now, he has won seven National Championship and six Club Championship titles, with around 65 race podiums.

Yash Aradhya at French Formula 4 2020.

Born in 2002 in Bengaluru to an adman father and a homemaker mother, Aradhya’s love for speed began when he was just six. “It was during a road trip from Bengaluru to Mumbai that I got excited about cars and speed. I remember my dad explaining to me about horsepower and engines and it fascinated me. I was thrilled by the passion for speed, so at six, I started karting for fun,” reminisces Yash.

Racing is in his DNA

Yash officially dipped his toes into racing at age nine. Seeing his passion, his father approached JK Tyres’ head Sanjay Sharma for the national racing championship. “Hardy uncle (as we fondly call him) put us in touch with Akbar Ebrahim (the first Indian to race in the international circuits) and it was under him that my training began,” recalls the 19-year-old whose ultimate goal is to become a Formula 1 racer.

At nine, he scored his first win at the JK Tyre MMS Rotax Rookie Cup 2012 by clinching second at the podium, which turned out to be a foundation for the forthcoming winning championships. “Graduating to the junior level was a different ball game as there is a speed difference and fighting for the top position was getting exciting and challenging at the same time. However, my passion to win helped me exceed everyone’s expectations including my mentor after I won Formula Junior Series FLGB,” says the Utrecht University student.

Yash Aradhya with his mentor Akbar Ebrahim

The win set the ball rolling for Yash who was soon nominated by the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India to represent the country at Academy Trophy. It opened new opportunities for the teenager, and took him to Europe and Asia to race. With each passing year, Aradhya won more podiums and in 2019, he graduated from karting to car with the MRF 1300 National Championship 1600.

The run up to the podium

However, it hasn’t been an easy run, especially since he came from a non-motorsport background though he found the perfect support system in his dad. “I knew that I wanted to be a Formula racer, and my dad helped me achieve my dream. He put me in touch with my mentor, helped me get sponsors who have put their faith in me. Despite being an expensive sport, my dad has gone above and beyond to make my dream come true,” beams the Formula 4 racer.

With the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, Yash is the only teenager under 18 years to be awarded in the category of motorsports. “I didn’t realise how big of a deal it was until I was standing in front of the President of India. The award means a lot to me and holds immense value,” says Yash who still remembers PM Narendra Modi’s advice to him. “He added, ‘This award is not the end. Take it as a beginning step, and continue to excel in the field’.”

Yash Aradhya with former President Ram Nath Kovind

The mettle to train

The boy from Bishop Cotton Boys School is completely focused on excelling now. Under the tutelage of coach Akbar Ebrahim, fitness coach Ramji Srinivasan and nutritionist Ryan Fernando, Yash is spreading his wings far and wide. He reveals that unlike other sports, racers don’t get to train on the tracks every single day. “I do physical and mental training every day under the guidance of my coaches. However, we get only two days to test drive before the championships,” says Yash, who is currently studying economics and business economics in the Netherlands and enjoying his stay in a new city.

Despite being one of the most expensive sports, Yash has found his footing, thanks to his sponsors. After racing in Formula 4 South East Asia Championship 2019, the 2020 French Formula F4 and MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022, he is now gearing up for his upcoming championships. “Currently, I am dividing my time between studies and training. These last few years were wasted, thanks to the pandemic. However, I am excited to get back into action,” says the racer who loves playing tennis and swimming in his free time.

Yash Aradhya training for championship

Calling the recent times one of the most exciting times to be in motosporting, Yash feels lucky to be a part of it. “There are so many career opportunities right now in motorsports. The talent is getting recognised. I would say stay tuned for more,” signs off Yash.

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Published on 19, Mar 2023

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Prathistha Deveshwar: The first Indian wheelchair-user at Oxford is striving for change

(June 7, 2023) Pratishtha Deveshwar was just 13 when a tragic car accident left her paralysed down the waist. The sudden turn of events left her confined to a hospital bed for four months and subsequently forced her to spend three years bedridden. Returning to school was an impossible dream at first as her school wasn't wheelchair accessible. Moreover, people around them had given their verdict that her life was over, asking her parents to buy her a shop in her hometown of Hoshiarpur in Punjab to at least earn a livelihood. But Pratishtha defied societal expectations and embarked on an extraordinary journey of education, empowerment, and advocacy. The Diana Award recipient is the first Indian wheel-chair user to study at Oxford University, along with being one of the youngest and most vocal disability rights activists in India. It was a normal life for Pratishtha until October 2011, when owing to a spinal cord injury she was left paralysed. She woke up in the ICU days later to immense pain in her hands and chest but couldn't feel anything below her waist. She was told by the doctor, 'You will never be able to walk again.' At that moment she

' At that moment she felt her dreams, life, and aspirations had come to an end. She was later shifted to a normal hospital bed where she ended up spending the next four months. But due to the gravity of the situation, she was bedridden for another four years, until she decided to take charge of her life. Being written off by society, she knew the only way to get out of it was through the power of education. "People kept telling my parents to face facts and buy me a shop, so I might at least have a livelihood. Never mind what I wanted: career, marriage, travel; all these things were unthinkable according to conventional wisdom," the Global Indian wrote in Somerville Magazine.

But her parents encouraged her to study as she worked with her teachers and friends to find a way to continue her studies. She finally found a system and worked hard to clear her Class 12 boards. "I always knew that I could overcome my situation only with education. So, after 12th, I told my parents that I don’t want to live inside the four walls of my home anymore; I deserve better. I applied to LSR, and got admission! That changed my life,” she told HT. However, it came with its share of prejudices as many people didn't find logic in sending a wheelchair-bound girl to the university. "Those people just saw the wheelchair; they never looked beyond it to the contents of my mind or my heart. It was around this time that I first thought of advocacy not just for myself but for all people with disabilities - of which there are 28 million in India."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaGnzeGZ8y4

LSR gave her the wings as for the first time she found a safe space to be herself, surrounded by a supportive community of women who encouraged her to share her story. This was her first step towards activism, and it started right outside the gates of her college in Delhi. She met people who wanted to listen to her story and share theirs. But it was one encounter that moved her the most. "A shopkeeper invited me to visit his shop and make it wheelchair accessible. All the alterations I suggested were completed within five days of my visit. This, I learned, is how activism works: by meeting people, listening to their stories, and telling your own, until you find common ground."

Soon she began sharing her story at other DU colleges and slowly started getting more attention. She led to an invitation to speak at the UN, and it snowballed as she was then asked to join the Asia Pacific Regional Office in Bangkok and later in Nairobi. With each platform, she got an opportunity to create awareness which won her the Diana Award in 2021 for her activism for disability rights. This led her to the gates of Oxford University for a Masters in Public Policy, making her the first Indian wheelchair-user to study at Oxford University. "I realized that the cause of constant marginalization of persons with disabilities (PwDs) is the lack of inclusive policies, hence I opted for Public Policy. I want to come back to India to use the experience and knowledge by facilitating policy-level changes to improve the lives of PwDs," she said.

Earlier this month , I had the incredible honour of meeting HRH Prince Charles, who commended my achievements so far and encouraged me to keep striving for success!
I am grateful to be the recipient of The Diana Award and thank every person supporting my journey! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HdLdg1lTUW

— Pratishtha Deveshwar (@iiampratishtha) June 29, 2021

It was at Oxford that her course reinforced ideas of activism that she had built up over the years. "I had expected Public Policy to teach me how to use the system to leverage change. It asked us to look beyond the numbers and create the right solution by empathising with the affected people," she added.

The 23-year-old was honoured by the UK Parliament with the India-UK Achievers Award recently for her outstanding contribution to society. She is back in India and keen to share the things she has learnt in the last few years. "While I may be the first wheelchair-using Indian to attend Oxford, I don't intend to be the last."

Follow Pratishtha Deveshwar on Twitter and LinkedIn

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Indrani Das: Indian-American STEM girl pioneers new treatment for brain damage

(December 15, 2022) A rebellion put Indian American Indrani Das on the path to research brain injuries, something that led her to win a quarter-million-dollar at the Regeneron Science Talent Search award as a 17-year-old. While most Indian parents coax their children to become doctors when they grow up, Indrani's parents weren't the same. With their roots in Kolkata, the banker couple had warned their daughter against opting for science. They even told her to not be a doctor. "Don’t become a doctor, it’s long and expensive. So, I decided I wanted to be a doctor,” she said. This passion led the Harvard University graduate to a medical-oriented project that focuses on her new approach to neurological damage. Always fascinated with brain injuries after learning about their irrevocable and devastating effects, she decided to learn more with her full-fledged project. As a senior at the Academy for Medical Science Technology in New Jersey, she explored how brain damage occurs and examined ‘astrogliosis’, a process that can lead to the excess production of a toxin that can damage neurons. She was keen to understand the nuances of how brain damage occurs and if she could figure out a way to slow

re out a way to slow or reverse the process. "My work centers on repairing the behaviour of supporting cells to prevent neuron injury and death. It was really that shock of what it can do to a person that pushed me to work," she explained.

[caption id="attachment_25387" align="aligncenter" width="683"] Indrani Das is an Indian-American young scientist[/caption]

This very work led her to win $250,000 at the 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search, which is nicknamed the Junior Nobel Prize. "These diseases are so prevalent, so debilitating, it matters to me that I continue to work on this," she added. Her purpose is to treat traumatic brain injury which can lead to stroke, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's diseases. "In all these injuries, there is an insult to brain tissue which on the one hand causes neurons to die, but on the other hand causes supporting cells to calm these neurons. In my model, I found one of the problems which contributing to the disease condition, and then I also helped to treat it," she added.

The New Jersey resident was only three when she heard about the Regeneron Science Talent Search, as her love for science began blossoming at a young age. Seeing her fascination for dinosaurs and discovery at a young age, her parents suggested she submit her fossil findings to the competition. Years later, she not just applied but also took home the top prize for promoting neuron repair. But it wasn't a cakewalk for the Indian American who went through a process of reading scientific literature and running small experiments over many years to finally work on the subject.

[caption id="attachment_25388" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Indrani Das won the 2017 Regeneron Science Talent Search[/caption]

It was at the beginning of her high school as a 14-year-old that she began working on the project with only a rudimentary understanding of biology. The lack of in-depth experience with molecular biology and neuroscience was one of the biggest challenges for Indrani, which was exacerbated by the absence of "any one source for basic information." "What set the tone for my work was the learning curve I went through in the following months and years. I spent hours each day reading research journals to come to an understanding of the problems in a brain injury that I wanted to study, and used my growing knowledge base to help me conduct more and more refined experiments," the Global Indian said in an interview.

Being educated at the Bergen County Academy for Medical Science Technology, one of New Jersey's top public schools, she would often push her limits by conducting her research projects. That's when she wanted to focus on the brain. "Neurodegenerative diseases ruin a person's quality of life, they take away from (a person's) basic humanity. It was that impact I wanted to understand and to study and to try and repair,” she told CNN. With the help of mentor-cum-biology teacher Donna Leonardi, she embarked on her research journey, and began learning how cells lived and died by growing and manipulating cell cultures. She's also a member of the Stevens Lab at Boston Children's Hospital, where she works on synaptic pruning, a critical process in brain development.

[caption id="attachment_25389" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Indrani Das with her parents[/caption]

Indrani, who aspires to be a physician-scientist, is grateful to her parents for letting her follow her passion. "I’ll never forget my parents’ stories of how they worked full-time day jobs while securing additional degrees by night, and saved religiously for over a decade before my birth to provide me with the most comfortable life possible. I wouldn’t say that I’ve chosen a different path from my family, but that my choices reflect the evolution of theirs. We’re living the American dream," she added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVRNZzQZezQ

Indrani, who has plans of wrapping up her Ph.D. program in the next 10 years, advises youngsters to not be limited by their circumstances and to break bigger goals into small steps. "At the end of the day, it’s not who you know, how much you know, or what you have that determines whether you achieve your goals – it's how much you are willing to go through. If you aren’t losing your drive to excel, you’re winning the game."

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Vinusha MK: The little entrepreneur’s sweet and savoury journey of Four Seasons Pastry

(November 22, 2022) When as a nine-year-old, Vinusha MK, was seeking an internship in baking and approached hotels and bakeries, she was turned down by all, owing to her age. It was Nina Reddy, joint managing director of Savera Hotel, the oldest four-star hotel in Chennai who recognised the passion and talent in the kid and agreed to her request. Now at 12, Chennai girl, Vinusha has been an entrepreneur for the last three years, running her business venture, Four Seasons Pastry profitably, selling 5000+ cupcakes, and other confectionery until now. [caption id="attachment_24485" align="aligncenter" width="707"] Vinusha MK[/caption] It was in 2019 that she established her business, and since then the young entrepreneur has not looked back. Such is the expertise that she has developed in both baking and entrepreneurship that the class seven student gets invited to address college students who are much older than her. “I have recently been to Vellore Institute of Technology and PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore to address food technology and retail management students,” she tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_24477" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Vinusha during a talk at VIT[/caption] The journey of baking Talking about how it all began, Vinusha remarks, “A few years

o are much older than her. “I have recently been to Vellore Institute of Technology and PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore to address food technology and retail management students,” she tells Global Indian.

[caption id="attachment_24477" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Vinusha during a talk at VIT[/caption]

The journey of baking

Talking about how it all began, Vinusha remarks, “A few years ago I had developed a keen interest in watching videos on baking and one day on my mother’s birthday tried making a cake in a pressure cooker. Surprisingly, it turned out well.” This successful experiment in the kitchen built great confidence in her to do more such experiments. “I got so obsessed with it that I started constantly thinking and talking about baking. That’s when my parents bought me an oven and enrolled me in a baking class,” she says.

[caption id="attachment_24467" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Cupcakes made by Vinusha[/caption]

The youngest learner in the batch of her baking class learned the craft amidst much older batch mates, either newly married women or young professionals. However, after the short course ended, Vinusha’s urge to learn more surfaced. She approached multiple hotels and bakeries for an internship in baking but got turned down by all. “They thought I was too small for it.”

Luck prevailed

During one of the festive carnivals where the little baker had set up a stall to sell her goods, she got an opportunity to meet Savera Hotel’s, Nina Reddy. This proved to be a turning point in her entrepreneurial journey. So impressed was Nina with Vinusha’s efforts that she readily agreed to the little girl’s request for an internship in the kitchen of her hotel.

[caption id="attachment_24468" align="aligncenter" width="699"] Vinusha with Nina Reddy, joint managing director of Savera Hotel, Chennai[/caption]

“It was a great opportunity for me,” The kitchen of the magnificent hotel opened up horizons for Vinusha. “The majority of knowledge that I have acquired about baking is thankfully because of the opportunity to learn in Savera’s Kitchen,” tells she.

Stepping into the entrepreneur’s shoes

Vinusha wanted to take her passion for baking even further. “I was always fascinated by the word ‘entrepreneur’ and wanted to know all about it so that I can be one myself.” Her chemical engineer father and homemaker mother proved supportive once again.

“My parents took me to an entrepreneurs’ workshop where I met lots of entrepreneurs Their stories and ideas were so inspiring that I wanted to plunge into entrepreneurship instantly,” says the student of Ology Tech School.

[caption id="attachment_24470" align="aligncenter" width="765"] Vinusha during an internship at Winner's Bakery[/caption]

Shortly after, the then-nine-year-old Vinusha launched Four Seasons Pastry in 2019. Since then, she has been steadily catering to orders of customized cakes, cupcakes, brownies, blondies, and chocolates. Her clients place the order either through her website or social media handles, and the products are delivered to their homes.

Though baking is solely handled by Vinusha, it’s only when she is hard-pressed for the time that her mother chips in to help. “Diwali and Christmas are the period of maximum business for us. Other than selling confectionaries, I hold workshops for those who want to learn how to bake,” she says.

Diversifying the business

The young entrepreneur also sells baking kits. “My ‘Do it Yourself Baking Kits’ are for youngsters in the age group of seven to 14 who want to bake independently.’ It contains all the ingredients in the right measurement so that kids can make cupcakes, blondies, and cookies without compromising on the taste.

The kit contains recipes and useful information about the science of baking along with the ingredients.

[caption id="attachment_24466" align="aligncenter" width="561"] Vinusha with her 'Do it Yourself' baking kit[/caption]

While Vinusha’s baking kits can be delivered across India, her chocolates are available within Tamil Nādu, and cakes, pastries, and cupcakes orders are catered across Chennai. Her mother who ran a play school earlier has shut it down to manage Vinusha’s entrepreneurial goals and busy schedule, accompanying her to all the venues to which she is invited as a trainer or guest speaker.

“Social media helped us a lot in connecting to people. All the clientele I have got is purely organic, there have been no investments in marketing so far,” she informs.

Powerful inspirations and big dreams

The budding entrepreneur talks about a whole list of people who inspire her. From CK Ranganathan the Founder Chairman of CavinKare, Zoho founder, Sridhar Vembu, and Suresh Sambandam, founder of Kissflow to Thyrocare founder Arokiaswamy Velumani, Vinusha ardently follows their leadership mantras. ‘Despite being super successful they are mostly down-to-earth people and this is what I like about them,” she says.

The young entrepreneur has got immense support from Geetanjali Sasikumar, director of Ology Tech School, who has even offered her the opportunity of scholarship to study in the school.

‘I want to make my brand bigger in the future,” tells the multi-tasker who manages her studies and her business venture by meticulously dedicating time to both. When it comes to her personal favorites, it’s all about chocolate. “I love my brownies, chocolate cupcakes, and Choco-lava cake the most,” she says.

Follow Vinusha MK on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

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Poorna Malavath: Indian mountaineer conquering the summits of seven continents

(June 30, 2023) "I climbed Everest because I wanted to prove girls could do anything." This is what Poorana Malavath said after scaling Mt Everest at the age of 13. She scripted history by becoming the youngest Indian and youngest girl in the world to scale the world's highest peak. But that was just the beginning for this 23-year-old tribal girl who went onto complete the Seven Summit Challenge in 2022, by summiting all seven peaks in all seven continents. [caption id="attachment_31512" align="aligncenter" width="508"] Poorna Malavath[/caption] How the tribal girl fell in love with mountaineering It was in Palaka, a village in Nizamabad district of Telangana, that Poorna was born to parents who were farmhands. Being a tribal girl, Poorna did not have access to resources needed for mountaineering nor did she have the inclination to become a mountaineer, because it was something she couldn't even fathom in her wildest dreams. In her community, educating girls was a rare phenomenon, and even if some did attend school, they were pulled out as soon as they hit puberty as it was time to get them married. But her father Devidas Malavath wanted to educate his daughter and give her wings to

a rare phenomenon, and even if some did attend school, they were pulled out as soon as they hit puberty as it was time to get them married. But her father Devidas Malavath wanted to educate his daughter and give her wings to fly, so he encouraged her to join Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) when she was ten. "Stepping out of my village gave me opportunities I didn't even dream of. In my new school, I felt like a newborn butterfly emerging from her cocoon," she said in an interview.

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A post shared by Poorna Malavath (@poorna_malavath)

It was at TSWREIS that she was selected for a mountain climbing workshop, something that was set to change her life forever. Seeing her athletic prowess, thanks to her years of playing kabbadi and volleyball, her teachers and mentor Dr RS Praveen Kumar, the retired IPS officer who was keen to give TSWREIS schools a makeover, saw her potential. He encouraged her to climb the Bhongir rock in Telangana. Fear took over her for the very first time as she saw herself making the climb uphill, but once she made it to the top, she had also conquered her fear. It was exhilarating, and that very moment she knew she had found her calling, and started training with Shekhar Babu, a professional mountaineer.

Youngest girl in the world to scale Mt Everest

Three years into her training, she scaled the Mount Everest at the age of 13, thus becoming the youngest Indian and youngest girl in the world to scale the summit. "The snow-clad Himalayan ranges were breathtaking. I could see all the camps as well!,” she told The Hindu. Though achieving the feat was thrilling for the then teenager, she had to face many difficulties. "The winds were pretty harsh and it was also bitingly cold. Moreover, during the expedition, we had to eat packaged food which was not easy to digest. I was as frequently throwing up whenever I was given food in those sealed bags as the smell was unbearable for me," she told a daily. But what disturbed her the most was seeing dead bodies of the climbers on her way to the summit. It was the second time in her life that she felt fear, understanding the fragility of life. But everything was worth it as she raised Indian flag on the world's highest peak. "The satisfaction of all the hard work I had done along with quietness and peace filled me."

However, scripting history wasn't easy as she underwent eight months of training, wherein she was sent to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. It was here that she climbed Mount Renock which is 17,000 feet. She then trained in Ladakh where she was accustomed to sub-zero temperature of -35 degree Celsius. Seeing her endurance levels, she was sent on the Everest expedition.

Seven summit challenge

After climbing Mt Everest, she was keen to complete the Seven Summit Challenge. This led her to climbing Mt Elbrus in Russia which stands at an elevation of 5,642 m and later Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania which is 5,895 m in height. In 2019, she climbed Mt Vinson in Antarctica. And by June 2022, she had scaled all seven peaks in all the seven continents with Mt Denali (the highest mountain in North America) being the last peak that she summited. "It was a very different experience for me because every mountain has its own difficulties. The journey to Mt. Denali was more difficult than Mt. Everest. I have to train for two-three months. I had to work very hard. I had to work on my diet and exercise regularly. Climbing Mt Denali was very tough but my passion took me on the top," she said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgJosfwXvyo

Poorna's incredible achievement of .conquering all seven peaks across seven continents stands as a testament to her unwavering determination and indomitable willpower. Her journey exemplifies the belief that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. Her story serves as a reminder that with perseverance and a strong will, we can overcome any obstacle and reach the summit of our aspirations. "Taking the first step is the best way to overcome your fear and march towards your goal."

Follow Poorna Malavath on Instagram

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Skater girl: Meet Janaki Anand, the youngest Indian skateboarder

(October 24, 2024) On March 11, 2021, an Instagram page named @skatekochi uploaded a video of a six-year-old Indian skateboarder, Janaki Anand, during a practice session at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. The video instantly went viral, not just because of Janaki's exceptional talent on the skateboard, but also for her grit and courage. In the video, the young Indian skateboarder stumbles a couple of times but refuses to give up, persevering until she manages to get the trick right. In the end, she is surrounded by the Fly Squad, one of Kochi's first skateboarding communities. Born in Dubai, where she first discovered skateboarding, the Global Indian moved back to Kerala with her family, who hope to draw attention and resources to what is now an Olympic sport and empower other young girls to follow their dreams. [caption id="attachment_32218" align="aligncenter" width="571"] Janaki Anand, the youngest Indian skateboarder[/caption] India’s young skateboarding star Around the same time, Janaki's mother, Jincy, opened an Instagram page in her daughter's name - she garnered thousands of followers quickly and is India's youngest skateboarder. Although the skateboarding scene in India is quite nascent, Janaki is mentioned alongside well-known names like Mohammed Khadir and Atita Verghese

oung skateboarding star

Around the same time, Janaki's mother, Jincy, opened an Instagram page in her daughter's name - she garnered thousands of followers quickly and is India's youngest skateboarder. Although the skateboarding scene in India is quite nascent, Janaki is mentioned alongside well-known names like Mohammed Khadir and Atita Verghese of the Bengaluru-based HolyStoked Collective, and Harshad Kamble of the Beastmode Crew, Mumbai.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, where Janaki was practicing when she first entered the limelight, is among the top training centres for skateboarders in the country. With skateboarding being named an Olympic sport in 2020, more resources are coming into developing facilities for young, rising stars like Janaki. Her family eventually moved back home to Kerala, to give Janaki access to better resources and to empower other kids who want to be skateboarders too. With her growing Instagram presence and collaborations with the Indian skateboarder community, Janaki is already making an impact.

Her first love

Janaki first got on a skateboard when she was two years old, in Dubai, where her family was based at the time. Her father, Anand Thampi, was the first in the family to fall in love with the sport. Her older brother Rehan followed and would become Janaki's role model. She would watch him intently, trying to copy what he did. "I learned like that and practiced," Janaki said, in an interview. By the age of 3, the young Indian skateboarder was able to get around on a skateboard, and her family, who saw her talent, encouraged it.

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A post shared by Janaki Anand (@skate_janzz)

As toddlers her age were still learning to walk and run, Janaki would attempt to balance on a skateboard inside her house, holding onto the edge of whatever furniture was nearby, or the wall. When she was four years old, her family took her to a skate park. "We used to get a lot of negative comments about what she was doing," admits Janaki's mother, Jincy. "She was skateboarding on the road in Dubai, or in parks nearby and people would criticise us." Although people assumed Janaki was being pushed into a professional career at a very young age, that was not the case. Janaki learns on her own, without a professional coach.

"Skateboarding is not like other sports," says Jincy. "We don't have many professional Indian skateboarders, there are no facilities really for professional coaching or training. But we don't think she needs anyone either. She can figure it out on her own. There is no limit to what one can do on a skateboard, she can do anything she wants if she sets her mind to it."

Staying true to her mother's words, Janaki is constantly pushing herself. Her brother was her first role model but she moved quickly on to YouTube, where she would professionals and advanced skateboarders. Her father guides her after that, helping her with the nuances of mastering the tricks.

Passion and dedication

Janaki's day begins at 8.30 am, and she practices all morning, takes a break for lunch and then returns to her stakeboard. Her parents even made the difficult decision to take her out of regular school and switch to online learning instead, to give their daughter room to grow and develop her passion. "That was a tough choice because even though online classes became more common during the pandemic, children are expected to physically attend school," says Jincy. Her parents stand by her firmly, defending her against criticism - "We look at her struggles as she tries to learn and her courage. That gives us strength too," says Janaki's mother. Moreover, the many scars and scratches she gathered on her limbs didn't go down well in a traditional Indian society, where little girls are not expected to do such 'boyish' things.

Janaki Anand learned how to skateboard just as babies learn how to walk. By falling all the time, getting hurt, picking herself up, and carrying on anyway. That was another trial by fire for the family, who couldn't bear to see their daughter cry. "It's the same as watching kids learn to walk - they fall, cry and do it again. We don't stop them from doing that. If she dares to take it forward, then we will accept what goes with that," says Jincy.

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A post shared by Janaki Anand (@skate_janzz)

Exploring the Indian skateboarding scene

When she was four years old, just before the pandemic in 2020, Janaki's family took her to a skate park in Dubai. That was also the day her mother created an Instagram account @skate_janzz, for the young Indian skateboarder. When the lockdown was put into place, Janaki didn't let it stop her. She continued to practice indoors, learning to master different tricks.

They returned to India soon after and Janaki Anand went on a South India tour in 2021, covering all five states in 20 days, to bring attention to the sport. She met with skating communities like the Kovalam Skate Club and Cosmic Skaters. Fly Squad members Sreekumar Santosh, Efraim Anthony, and Arun Kumar also took the little girl under their wing, teaching her more advanced techniques.

Her parents have shown just as much courage in their way. "My husband and I were keen to introduce this sport, especially to little girls, as a way of empowering them," Jincy told the Indian Express. "Simultaneously, we wanted to ensure the right resources for the sport by bringing it to the notice of the authorities. It would also ensure a wider platform for Janaki in her own country."

Follow Janaki on Instagram