Having recently won a gold medal at the 59th National Roller Skating Championship, Bhavita Madhu is already setting her sights on competing at International Championships in the year ahead and winning medals for the country. In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, the Indian roller skater speaks about her journey so far, balancing education with her sporting career, representing India, the role of her coaches and her future goals and aspirations.
Q 1) You started skating at the age of four, what drew you into the sport while you were young and when did you realize that it’s a passion you can pursue professionally?
I started skating as a part of my daily physical activity. Very soon, it became the part of my day I always looked forward to. So, I decided to compete at the state and national levels. I was 12 when I got the opportunity to represent the country at an international championship and that is when I decided that I wanted to pursue it professionally.
Q 2) You are currently studying Integrated MS – Life Sciences at Ahmedabad University. How do you balance your education and sporting career? What are some of the challenges that you have faced in maintaining that balance?
Balancing studies along with a sports career has been very challenging. Along with the practice comes fitness, which is essential for any sport. For me, the most difficult part has been preparing for exams along with the hours of practice. Ahmedabad University has been supportive of my sports career and smoothened the way for me.
Q 3) You recently won a gold medal at the 59th National Roller Skating Championship. Is that the most special achievement in your career so far and how was the experience of representing your country?
Although this national medal was a major win for me, representing and winning medals for the country has been the most special and honourable achievement for me. Watching the Indian flag go up on the podium and hearing India’s National Anthem being played still gives me goosebumps to date.
Q 4) How much have your coaches Jyutika Desai and Raffaello Melossi helped you in your achievements so far? Who else would you give credit to for your success?
The credit for everything I have achieved so far in my entire sports career go to my coaches and parents. My coaches have guided me and trained me for all the championships and my parents have been with me every step of the way. They have supported me through my failures and inspired me to do my best every time.
Q 5) What are some of your future goals and aspirations? How do you plan to achieve them?
Currently, I am looking forward to participating in the upcoming International Championships in 2022. I have been focusing on improving my fitness for better performance in the upcoming championships.
