Oh my, Mary.
I don’t remember the exact age when I started following you. You used to be a constant name on the newspapers, and some 10 years later, you continue to be. If people in India know something about boxing, it’s because of you. I know, have seen, read, watched about the struggles you went through to come this far. If early stages were a struggle, the marriage and the children didn’t make it smooth at all. While a few things changed, your hunger for victory stayed.
Giving birth to three children, your body definitely is not the same as it was before. You got to train triple, you got to maintain the weight. Still, you keep marching forward. Still, you keep winning medals. I cannot imagine the pain you go through every time.
Dreams never let you sleep, don’t they?
Every single time you go out there, you had to win. Not only for you but also for the entire nation, for the sport in the nation and for all the women out there who are looking out for inspiration to follow their dreams. You are the torch bearer, the light, the ray of hope for them.
At 35, the age where everything starts to slow down, how do you stay fit? How do you keep knocking out some 22 years old like you did today? I mean, How?
You know, by 2020, you will be 37. Still, you are desperate to fight for the Olympic gold for probably one last time. So, for that, you’ll have to gain weight because you fight in the 48kg category. You do know gaining weight will not go well with your height. Still, you wanna do it. You wanna do it for the nation that doesn’t find much time to look after you. You wanna do it for us, the people who don’t even know to celebrate you. We are narrow-minded people and We don’t find time for you. To be honest, we don’t deserve you at all, Mary.
When you teared up on stage today, I was crying as well. When the happiness choked your throat, I couldn’t breathe as well. It is more than just an achievement. It is making the dreams into reality. Something worth dying for. Thank you, Mary, for making us all believe. Thank you, Mary, for restoring the faith in boxing, in women sport in the country. You are more than just a legend. You are the God, the source of positivity, an inspiration. May you continue to rise and shine.
Love you. ❤️
