'If I can come this far, anyone can'

Think of Manipur and one thinks of Manipuri dancers. But boxer Mary Kom, who stormed into a predominantly male bastion and proved her mettle in the 2012 London Olympics, has done her family, state and country proud. Mary, who was in Bangalore to release her autobiography ‘Unbreakable’, says that she is hoping to inspire her admirers once again.

Mary points out that she has been lucky to receive a lot of support from family and friends, which is one of the factors that has propelled her this far. “I cannot thank my near and dear ones enough for their untiring support. Also, I’ve always remained positive and that has helped,” she says earnestly.

Mary, who is travelling extensively for the release of her autobiography, wore an exhausted look when she checked in with her family to a hotel recently. Even so, her love for Bangalore makes her beam. “There has been a lot of travelling. I am coming from Mumbai and I will be heading to New Delhi and then Guwahati. But I really love coming to Bangalore and I do so frequently. It’s a really nice place, everything is perfect, especially the weather,” she says. 

About her autobiography, Mary says, “I hope that through my book, my readers get to know the struggles that I have gone through to reach where I have. I also hope that they realise the hard work that has gone in to achieving success. I’m looking forward to a good review. I know that I have inspired many but after the book, I hope there are many more who will be inspired.”

Looking forward to the movie that is being made on her, in which Priyanka Chopra plays the lead, Mary says, “I am honoured that a superstar is playing my role. In fact, I had never dreamt that a movie would be made on me. It was one of my dreams and now it has come true.”

For those who look up to her as a role model, Mary says, “Life will throw up many challenges. But it’s important to overcome them and go straight ahead. I want people to learn from me. I have also faced many issues but I have not let it come in the way of my success. I want them to remember that background doesn’t matter.”  Signing off Mary says, “If I can come this far, anyone can. Only if people have learnt something from me will I feel that I have been able to achieve something. That will be the biggest satisfaction for me.”