Good things don’t come easy, in fact, it’s in the face of adversities that the best of ourselves is created. Only by overcoming our obstacles and insecurities do we bring the hero out of ourselves. One such hero amongst us, who rose through the ranks to carve a niche for himself is Mr. Pavanraj Patil, 6 times Sr. National Medalist in Artistic Gymnastics. ShivChhatrapati State Sports Awardee and a Coach. He is also the Head Coach and Director at Olympism Sports and Fitness Pvt. Ltd.
The Journey-
Pavanraj Patil started gymnastics in 2005 when he was 12 years old and studying in the 8th grade. As a kid, he used to love participating in the sports activities being conducted in school so in general, he had a very good fitness level. His dad is a farmer and Pavanraj believes that today whatever he is all because of him. He belongs to a very ordinary family and was the first generation sportsperson. Back in those days, most villagers would only work day and night to make their ends meet but his father was of a very contrasting school of thought. He wanted Pavanraj to do something different from the rest and hence pushed him to pursue a career in sports.
Read All About Healthy Snacking Here!
18-20 years back it was a big decision for his father to go against all the criticism he was facing from all the naysayers and finally make up his mind to send him away from the family so that he could receive the right training and mentorship to learn sports.
The Road Ahead-
It all started in 2003. His village had no infrastructure or sports facility/coaching available. They visited the Latur District Sports Office/Complex from where they found out about “Krida Prabodhini”, a government scheme to promote sports among the youth.
Our Most Shared Post: Workout For A Flat Belly: 7 Exercises
Pavanraj appeared for the initial test in 2003 following which he was trained for a year to improve his physical condition and fitness and then they allotted him gymnastics as a sport to continue. There was no looking back after that day.
At that stage when he had just entered adolescence and probably needed his parents around the most, they decided to send him away so he could start his gymnastics training. It was a tough and emotional decision, especially for his mom.
Ironically, 12 is very late an age to start gymnastics nevertheless Pavarnraj did receive brilliant mentoring and support from his coach Mr. Sanjog Dhole who believed in him and his abilities
Must Read: Ten Tips To Start Eating Healthier Now
Looking back, Pavanraj Patil narrates his experiences with a mix of nostalgia and pride–
“Getting the right sports parenting and the right sports coach is extremely important to progress in sports.”
“My proudest moment till now is winning the “Shiv Chatrapati Award”, which is the highest honor awarded to an athlete in the State of Maharashtra. That award was an answer to all the criticism my dad had to face from the rest of the people when he decided to push me into sports. The situation now is very different. I have received a lot of love and acknowledgment from the same people who once doubted my capabilities.”
“Another proud moment was the day my mom got felicitated and received the “Matrarun Puraskar ” at Nashik for raising a son like me who had won so much recognition in sports.”
On his life mission and the future of sports in India–
“I believe India can save a lot of talent if kids are given the right mentorship and direction at the right time.”
“I try and do my bit in every possible manner. I have completed a course in motor skills learning from an academy based out of Switzerland by which I train small children in the age bracket of 3-7 years to develop their cognitive skills and physical fitness levels.”
“To anyone looking to start a career in sports, one thing I would like to share is,
“work hard and believe in yourself,
… there is no substitute to hard work”.
Read Our Most Shared Post: Things That Are Ruining Your Mood
We at FITrebel are proud to narrate the story of his strife and achievements and salute this son of Maharashtra and India. We wish him all the best for his future endeavors and are sure that he will bring further laurels to the nation in one form or another. Jai Hind.
Pavanraj On Social Media:
Youtube Channel-OlympismSports
Facebook Page-Pavanraj Patil
Instagram Page-Pavanraj Patil
Recommended Blogs:
TheNutritionHunthttps://thenutritionhunt.com/tnh
Hello Dr. Bhanu Abohari,
Thank you so much for writing an article on my journey. Your article inspires me, to be proud of myself. I will forever be grateful for this. And I hope this article inspires other readers too.
Thank you so much once again to you and Fitrebel.
Best wishes.
Regards,
Pavanraj Patil.
Hi PavanRaj, Most Welcome, You are indeed an inspiration to a lot of us. I have merely written down what you have done. And the pleasure was all mine.
Best of Luck
A Real Hero Pavanraj Patil,
Thanks for sharing success story, best wishes for his bright future.
Hi Mr. Hadole, You are absolutely right. ANd it was my pleasure to write his life story. Thanks for your kind comment.