KOCHI: Winning competitions seems like a cake walk for her. She has been winning state and national level high jump competitions from the age of eleven. Yet Sreeshma Rajan, the winner of Senior Girls High Jump in the 55th State school Athletic championship held here at Maharajas Ground, came to her coach Rajeesh Kumar after the race, and coyly mentioned that she won because most factors were in her favour.Humble, and quite shy, she had to be prodded by her coach to speak to us. Sreeshma a plus one student from Kalladi High School, Palakkad hails from Wayanad.She says, “My school was two kilometres away from home. It was a remote area and I used to wake up early morning along with my father Rajan who does daily contract work. Then I would head all the way through the steep paths of Wayanad to reach my classes on time. I guess that quick journey through the hilly terrains instilled a passion for sports in me."This is the best performance of Sreeshma so far, who cleared 1.63 metres. She started her athletic career with a bang- winning the second prize in the State sub junior meet held at Idukki when she was in the seventh standard. Next year she again proved her mettle by bagging the first prize at the state school meet. Same year she won the national level title. So far she has participated in seven national level school championships, coming out tops on many occasions. She also participated in the World school International sports meet held two years ago at Eston and finished sixth.Sreeshma says she has been into sports since childhood. “I would participate in almost every sport but was not too serious about it at that age. At that time I was studying at Dwaraka School and our physical training master Thankachan was the guiding force behind me. He encouraged me to strive hard. Later I changed my school and joined Kallada school where I am presently studying. We have a sports hostel with all facilities and our management provides us full support. My parents,elder sister and her husband also supports me a lot.”Rajesh, the present coach of Sreeshma says she has enough explosiveness and dedication - qualities that are necessary for an athlete and he hopes she will get a position in the national sports camp within a year or two so as to attain higher goals. He also hopes the government will recognise Sreeshma's talent and provide her with a job in due course of time so that she can support her family. [email protected]
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