Sports and Exercise Sciences is in growing demand in our country, it closely works with exercise and sport physiology. Sports and Exercise Scientist Gayatri Raghavan has already gathered a lot of experience working with athletes as well as school students. She founded the SES network which seeks to guide upcoming Sports Scientists and form a network to explore more about the field.

In this exclusive interview, Gayatri Raghavan talks about how she started her journey as a Sports Scientist, forming the SES network, working with International athletes and her aspirations for the future.

Q 1) How did you get into the field of sports science and what inspired you to pursue the field?

Growing up, I have always enjoyed physical activity and being on the move. Be it sports or dance, the confidence, satisfaction and joy I derived from them always gave me something to look forward to. I represented my school and university’s basketball team and played tournaments at various levels. Additionally, I have also been trained in Bharatanatyam, which is an Indian classical dance and have performed at multiple dance festivals and competitions. 

Having been on the ground, apart from all the positive aspects one gets to see, I witnessed many of my friends (in both sports and dance) give up what they love to do because of major injuries that could have been avoided if they were identified and addressed much earlier. 

This was exactly when I incidentally discovered the field of Sports and Exercise Science wherein the fundamental aim is injury prevention and performance optimization. I knew this was my calling because it involved my passions and gave a meaningful purpose as well.

Q 2) What made you form the SES network and how has it evolved in the last few months?

Sports and Exercise Sciences (SES) in India is in its nascent stage when compared to pioneers such as the UK, Australia and the USA to name a few. Naturally there is a feeling of uncertainty when it comes to future scope and career prospects in our country, mostly for students who are currently pursuing this course. Few of my good friends and I could empathize as we were in the same position a few years ago.

SES Network was conceptualized to guide such budding professionals while also keeping in mind the long-term vision of building a strong sports science community in India with world class standards. Over the last few months, we’ve had a great response with close to 100 registered members from across India. We have also gained recognition from eminent international professionals and I am sure this is just the beginning.

Q 3) What are some of the steps taken while assessing younger clients, since you also work with school children?

Personally, I prefer to focus more on creating a safe and comfortable environment for the children while conducting assessments. This will ensure that they open up and reduce inhibitions, if any. Since they shouldn’t feel the pressure of being “assessed” or “tested”, a lot of encouragement and positive talk will ensure they enjoy the process per se. Furthermore, I feel using easy and simple language when communicating with them is a must. It is also important that I build trust with their parents, teachers and coaches to make it a pleasant and smooth experience overall.

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Q 4) What are some of the common challenges you face with your clients and how do you overcome them?

While most of my clients cooperate and give their best, occasionally few of them do slack off owing to reduced motivation which may be due to personal or professional reasons. They end up missing their training sessions, don’t comply with the plan much or lessen their efforts. I feel one must acknowledge it as a phase that many go through but can definitely overcome given the right support. In such situations I have found Goal Setting to help a lot and the emphasis is on breaking down a long-term goal into 2-3 short term goals to give them actionable and achievable targets to work on.

On the other hand, few clients expect significant changes in a very short period of time whilst they end up overworking towards their goal. At such instances, patiently educating them on the science behind our body’s response to training and the right practices to adopt have proved to be helpful.

Q 5) How would you describe your experience working with the national and international athletes?

It’s been a never-ending learning curve as I can never settle while working with athletes performing at the highest levels and need to constantly search for ways to optimize their performance. Be it physical training or nutritional support, being mindful of their hectic practice and tournament schedules and the training season they are in, has been of utmost importance as I don’t want them to feel overworked.

My primary aim has always been to supplement their training and make it easier for them as they already have too much on their plate. While working with these athletes can be extremely gratifying, especially when they perform their best or win medals, I make it a point to not let that get the better of me as I believe there is always scope for improvement.  

Q 6) What are your future goals and how do you intend to achieve them?

I am taking one step at a time and open to any opportunity that comes my way which could help me grow professionally and at the same time gives me a chance to contribute to the fraternity as well. I definitely wish to explore and work towards implementing the Long Term Athlete Development model in our country as there is an athletic treasure trove waiting to be unlocked and it is only a matter of time before India starts winning major tournaments in all sports. Dance medicine has been intriguing me for years now and I do have plans to set foot in that avenue too. I will be heading out for my master’s program soon and I am hoping the institution that I go to, the exposure I receive and the professional network that I build hereon provide me a good platform to achieve my goals.