From setbacks to Continental gold

Bengaluru: The inaugural Indian Open World Athletics Bronze Level Continental Tour is seen by many as a turning point in Indian sporting history. The event, after all, allowed the nation to show the track and field world its ability to host a WA event. And for a certain Karnataka quartermiler, it also reignited the fire within her.

GK Vijayakumari won the 400m gold on Sunday in Bhubaneswar, finally ending her decade-old barren run at the international level. The fact that the 29-year-old runner from Mandya district made it to the top of the podium gave her the much-needed boost of confidence.

"Of all the medals I have won, this has to be at the top," Vijayakumari told DH. "This was long-time coming, it has been a long journey for me. Every year that went without an international success, there were doubters, until I started doubting myself too."

For someone who once teamed up with Dutee Chand for a 4x400m relay gold medal at the Asian Jr Athletics Championships 2014 in Taipei, Vijayakumari's career took a different course in comparison to her established compatriot.

While Dutee went on to win medals galore in the sprint events following her well-documented battle with World Athletics, Vijayakumari had to fight for her dreams back home.

Turns out, a job offer from the state's forest department, thanks to her medal in Taipei, gave her no choice but to quit sports. Given the economic state of her family, she found herself in a situation familiar to many girls of her age.

"My grandmother and mother were really after me to take that job. They wanted me to quit running and get married. I could only cry and beg them and even threaten to take my life if they forced me into this," she recalled.

A breakthrough was eventually made through her former coach and father figure Dr YS Lakshmeesh, who urged the matriarch to show faith in the teenager. Good news arrived soon as the Income Tax department offered her a job through the sports quota. More importantly, they allowed her the time she needed to spend on the training ground.

From 2015 to 2019, the 400m runner was making a steady rise as she improved from a sub-56-second runner to a sub-54. She eventually clocked her personal best of 53.03 seconds, impressing AFI coaches for a spot in the camp. She was also the back-up to the famed Hima Das & team that clinched a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. However, a nagging shin injury soon worsened.

Things only took a turn for the worse as back and leg injuries further slowed down her progress. She was soon considered past her prime and ousted from the SAI camp. The chain of morale-shattering events took their toll, and she made up her mind to move away from the track by the end of the 2024 season.

'One last try'

Entered her husband and now coach, Tarun Shekar. Also an engineer-cum-businessman, Tarun urged Vijaya to give her track and field career a last try as he had no doubts about her wife's talent. After all, he saw her up close as the duo competed together at the junior national level for Karnataka.

"Knowing how much fire she has in her, I knew that I only needed to push her a bit and she would find that motivation," said Tarun. "She was always an inspiration for all of us. I admired her since I saw her beat boys to the finish line. She only needed to be reminded of that."

Confidence coming from someone that important does wonders, as Vijayakumari arrived in the 2025 season with renewed vigour. She clocked sub-54 thrice in the domestic season before the doors for the Continental Tour success opened for her.

However, have all her dreams been achieved with this gold medal, especially when she has silenced the naysayers?

"No, I am not done yet," said Vijayakumari. "I have so many new dreams to achieve now. Starting with my first sub-53 run. But I am not going to get ahead of myself as Tarun always reminds me, 'it's one race at a time'!"