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Doctor aims to soar high

Athletics : Balancing two careers smartly, pole vaulter Khyati Vakharia is eager to strike it rich for India
Last Updated 24 September 2016, 19:01 IST

Pole vaulters rarely make news in a big way in India. They operate in near isolation, trying to raise the bar in quiet pursuit of excellence at athletics competitions. It’s basically going against the flow but there is a thrill in finding new heights that is quite unmatched, an exhilaration that spurs one to keep going.

For Khyati Vakharia, even that simple joy seemed to have come to an end when a severe knee injury laid her low last year. A dominant figure on the Indian pole vault scene along with V S Surekha, Khyati is known as the vaulting doctor in athletics circles, thanks to her professional qualification. Adversity is no stranger to her but this was a serious one.

“I felt I can never vault again. I couldn’t walk without support and I had lost hope of returning to the field,” said Khyati.

Surgery was the only option but the way forward was tough.  “Following a successful surgery, I slowly gained confidence and after six months of recovery I was back at the National Inter-State meet in Hyderabad (in June this year).”

Trying to regain the top position, Khyati encountered wet weather, a nightmare for every pole vaulter. But when the rain eased, she was quickly in control, towering over the competition and winning the gold with a clearance of 3.80 metres. Not a great height but given the circumstances, a heartening one.

“Coming back from injury, I had made some technical changes and I was happy that I was able to execute them,” said Khyati. “Heights will come when the technique is right.”

Khyati has a personal best of 4.00 metres, achieved three years ago at the Federation Cup at Patiala. The 27-year-old is hopeful of going higher, while balancing her career as a trainee doctor at the Fortis Hospital at J P Nagar in Bengaluru.

Despite a late start to her career, Khyati has made up for the lost time with laudable performances at the State and National levels. Juggling two different careers isn’t an easy task but Khyati has realised her dreams by facing hardships with determination.
“I was into gymnastics earlier but took up pole vault in my second year of MBBS at the Bangalore Medical College. Since my childhood, I would always be active in sports and studies but athletics was just a hobby. It was my sports team manager at the Medical College, Anto, who suggested I take up pole vault. He introduced me to the Sports Authority of India and once I began training there, the rigorous schedule and hard work began to pay off and I grew very passionate about it.”

Being a gymnast helped Khyati to understand the nuances of pole vault and the youngster thanks her first coach LS Upadhyay for teaching her the basics of the event. “Being a gymnast helped me understand the body and spatial awareness and the risk- taking ability required for pole vault. And my coach Upadhyay, who adopted a strict training style, helped me with the techniques of pole vault,” she said.

A gold medal-winning performance at the 2011 National Games in Ranchi gave a definite thrust to her career and two years later, she became only the second Indian women to clear the four-metre mark after Surekha.

Khyati’s consistent success at the national level raised her aspirations to do well on the international stage. Her desire to make it big at the global stage demanded better infrastructure and advanced training, forcing her to look for options outside India.

“In 2013, after my national achievements, even my coaches in India didn’t know how to take it forward, as far as my international goals were concerned. That’s when I contacted the world famous coach Dan Pfaff who trains athletes across the world at ALTIS in Arizona, United States. He saw my training videos and went through my accomplishments and allowed me to train under him,” said Khyati.

It was far from easy though.
“While training in the US, I realised that I had lots to learn on the technical aspect. I had to work on my take-off, the bending of pole and my velocity during my run. I had to unlearn everything that I already knew and start afresh, which was very challenging,” she explained.

Khyati, who is with the department of orthopaedics and sports medicine at Fortis, felt pole vault is still in its initial stages in India. “Many pole vaulters in the country don’t have coaches. For a sport that is technically dangerous, they lack the correct guidance. Many don’t take up the sport because they don’t receive the right amount of encouragement. The high financial requirements of the sport also make it tougher for athletes. I intend to achieve more and encourage many to take up pole vault,” she said.

Before that, Khyati has more goals to chase. The Asian Championships is in India next year, and she wants to do well there. “If you look at the Asian level, you achieve a podium finish if you record an effort of 4.15 or 4.20 metres,” said Khyati. “Considering my recent performances, I am definitely on the right path to make a mark at the Asian Championships and that’s my current goal.”


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(Published 24 September 2016, 18:53 IST)

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