Unnathi Aiyappa
Credit: DH Photo
Circa 2006. The air is chilly in Bengaluru, as the watch on B P Aiyappa’s left wrist strikes 6.20 am. His car steers towards a parking spot at the Sree Kanteerava stadium. His wife Pramila Gudanda Aiyappa, walks towards the track, carrying their baby.
That was little Unnathi Aiyappa’s first tryst with the arena that would go on to shape her athletic dreams. As a toddler, Unnathi watched her father coach her mother who was chasing her Olympic dream, soon after her maternity break.
Today, Unnathi has a dream similar to her mother’s. “I have been on the track since I was eight,” she says. The daily six-hour training sessions, dedicated hours for mental fitness and recovery drills in between have become her own. “Looking at my mom run and qualify for the Olympics inspired me to take up athletics,” she says.
“I want to be better than my mom. I want to achieve more than my mom. That is what she wants for me as well,” says Unnathi. This confidence is what fueled the 19-year-old to have the best year of her young sporting career in 2024. Competing non-stop for seven months, she picked up six gold, a silver and two bronze medals in various international track and field meets.
Unnathi Aiyappa.
Credit: DH Photo/PUSHKAR V
The sprinter, who mostly competed in the 200m and 100m hurdle races, came back from a disappointing performance at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru in August. In September, she claimed two gold medals at the fourth South Asian Junior (U20) Athletics Championships in Chennai, ending her year on a high.
She also claimed a bronze at the 21st Asian U20 Athletics Championships, in Dubai (in April). “When I was competing in the Asian Junior Games, I saw that many Kodavas in Dubai had come with banners to support me. This was a great moment for me,” she says. Though Kodagu is a small area in Karnataka, it has a big sporting culture.
Unnathi's biggest career-defining decision was also made during the course of this season. The short sprint hurdler chose to switch to 400m hurdles (the quarter-mile with 10 hurdles), considered one of the toughest running events, going forward. The transitory period has been nothing short of arduous.
“She is in the middle of a transition. It is a difficult and time-consuming process. But the best part is that she is up for the challenge,” her coach and father Aiyappa offers.
“While her height, natural speed and strength work to her advantage, it's Unna’s commitment to excel that plays a big role in thriving even during the switch. It is a gamble, but we have all collectively invested in it,” he explains.
To take this choice forward, the teen needs to follow strict rules. She is not allowed to use her phone beyond 9.30 pm. She has dietary restrictions and a strict training regimen.
“Of course I am proud of her but Unna has a long way to go,” says Pramila.
“Initially, she thought it was easy to represent the country, but as she got older, she realised it is extremely tough and she has to work hard to achieve those big dreams. She is already better than me at this age. So that is a positive sign,” she expresses.
The youngster has always dealt with expectations from parents, near and dear ones and the athletic community. But what does Unnathi want?
From a young age, she knew that she was not going to be ‘all work and no play’. The student of journalism at Reva University likes combining focus with flair and dedication with dare. Her pre-race routines are not merely about warming up and breathing exercises. For Unnathi it is also about painting her nails, braiding her hair, adding a dash of colour to her lips and eyes. “It is important to look good while winning. No?” she had once insisted.
“Unnathi has a strong sporting background, but has made her own mark,” says Bindu Rani, a former international athlete and India coach for the South Asian Junior (U20) event in Chennai.
Bindu has noticed her fighter spirit. “Especially once she steps on the track, what makes her interesting is that she responds to her results positively and is also very grounded. Her swag compliments the performance. This was and is common among foreign athletes. Now, girls like Unnathi are making bold statements in the manner they carry themselves, which younger girls take inspiration from to be fearless,” says Bindu.
This breath of fresh air, perhaps, is what Indian athletics needs to take it to newer heights: Being unapologetically unafraid to dream big and stake a claim while putting in the work to chase it at all costs.
“If you dream that you are going to be the greatest, then you have to start acting like it. That is the mantra I follow,” says Unnathi. So what is the big dream? “An Olympic medal!” she says.