We asked Juhi on her journey as a sportsperson and here is what she has to say:
What inspired you to pursue your passion in Sports?
Among the most vivid memories of my childhood, is watching Enter the Dragon with my father. Bruce Lee’s command over his body, his passion and discipline were evident even from a small tv screen. My fascination with martial arts coupled with the value of self-defence as expounded by my father led me to take up Tae-Kwon-Do as a 4-year-old girl. Given the lack of accessibility to teachers and classes two decades ago, when no one knew about Tae-Kwon-Do, finding any teacher was a mammoth task. My parents, conscious of my eagerness to learn, were able to find an instructor and I began taking classes. I cannot forget winning my first gold medal at an inter-school competition where I had to go up against a boy since no girl participated in my age group. In a world obsessed with gender, and physical strength that competition reminded me time and time again that I could do anything I put my mind to. At 8 years, I became the youngest black belt in India to be registered with the World Tae-Kwon-Do Association.
Tell us more about your journey and experience, as well as key achievements and learnings.
My parents and my instructors played a key role in keeping me motivated. Being involved in sports from a young age has taught me to learn from my failures as well as my success, because it is important to learn what you are doing wrong but also what you are doing right, so that no achievement is a fluke. My biggest achievements would be winning gold and silver medals at various State and National level Tae-Kwon-Do championships, becoming the youngest Black Belt in India and having the opportunity to represent my District and the State of Haryana at the Tennis Nationals. However, being able to inspire my friends/acquaintances to take up sports is the biggest achievement of all.
Have you faced any barriers being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them and key takeaways?
My small stature meant that people would often question my ability to succeed in the sports I played be it Tae-Kwon-Do and/or tennis. Despite my successes in both sports, I would be bullied over my muscular body. There was a pressure to succeed as a woman athlete but also to ‘look’ like a woman, to look ‘feminine’ enough; though I have never received a sufficient explanation as to what that means. Coupled with the pressure you feel as an adolescent or a teenager to look a certain way, led to an inherent dissatisfaction with my physical appearance. I remember back in 2013-14, Women’s Tennis Association came up with a new campaign “Strong is beautiful” which included some of my favourite tennis players, their stories and how they embraced their strengths. This campaign helped change the way I viewed myself.
Further, I learnt that irrespective of what I did, I would be subjected to negativity by naysayers who would find problems with the way I played and with the way I looked, irrespective of what I actually did. I found that the best thing to do when confronted with such negativity is to use that as fuel to your fire to succeed.
What is the most important message you want to send out to young women who wish to diversify/pursue similar interests?
I would just tell them to go for it. The worst thing that could happen is failure and it’s better to fail rather than to be too afraid to try. It’s never too late to pursue your passions and dreams. One thing that really worked for me was to use negativity from the people who doubt my abilities to motivate myself. I think all of us are more powerful than we know. It’s just a matter of realising our own strengths which is the first step towards harnessing the power within us and accomplishing more in life.
If you could have dinner with three inspirational women, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
- Ruth Bader Ginsburg was an icon for justice, perseverance and women empowerment. She shattered the glass ceiling and continues to inspire women across the world. Even if one does not agree with her beliefs and opinions, one cannot deny that she was a force to be reckoned with and that she left a meaningful impact on the world she inhabited.
- Kim Clijsters is one of my all-time favourite tennis players who took a hiatus from tennis and returned in 2009 after having a baby. Despite widely being expected to retire having been away from professional tennis for almost two years, Kim Clijsters went on to win two Grand slams after her return. She exhibited to me that no matter where I am, it’s never too late.
- Lisa Manobal is a Korean/Thai rapper from the K-Pop group Blackpink and a significant reason behind Blackpink’s rising international popularity. Lisa is one of the most influential, talented and well-rounded artists of our time and has been able to succeed in a country that is not her own. She is an incredible, dedicated performer and I really admire her focus on perfectionism.
#SHErocks #BreakTheBias #jsastories
