Olympic Champions: When JJ Shobha showed entire world to never give up in the crisis

You know what leave aside Sportsperson the character of any person is defined on how he/she exhibit their personality in the crisis and a story around 2004 Athens Olympics in reference to Indian Contingent knowns as “JJ Shobha” will inspire you to work even more hard in crisis.

“JJ Shobha” remember the name of former India athlete currently working with Indian Railways  has her name etched in the history of Olympic sport with the way she performed 15 years back in 2004 Olympics.

She was 24 years old back then who earned wide praise and appreciation from all corners of the world due to her heroic performance in 800 m final Heptathlon event with a torn ligament which she suffered due to Javelin throw.

She finished 3^rd position in 800 metres heat and overall 11^th position in the competition and gave lessons to all the people who crib about their weakness and scarcity in life.

However when she was asked about her bravado performance she stated that the memories of 2004 Athens Olympics aren’t sweet for her as after she ran 200 m the applause from the crowd kept her going.

A performance that still stands out👏👏

JJ Shobha inspiring moments on the track🔥#KheloIndia https://t.co/cs138AAyFE

— Khelo India (@kheloindia) March 31, 2022

“It’s as if it happened just yesterday. Yes, the effort earned me a lot of appreciation and even got me an Arjuna award, but the pain of missing out on a medal will always remain. I knew for sure that if I wasn’t injured, I would have been in contention. It’s like a scar I will always carry. Each time there’s a major sporting event, memories of Athens pop up in my head,” Shobha said while taking to one of the media outlets.

“I would lag behind due to poor performances in these events so I worked hard in polishing them ahead of the Games and that’s why I was able to finish third in the 800m event despite a painful injury,” she added.

In Athens 2004, she was carried twice on the stretcher on the final day of Heptathlon event one after Javelin throw and other after completing 800 m final heat.

“I had never cried so much in my life. While I was making my second throw, I heard a snap, and even before I knew it, I was on the ground. I knew something really bad had occurred. I tried to get back on my feet but couldn’t. I had no clue what had happened.”

“People thought that was the end of my competition. They even made announcements in the stadium that I would not compete anymore,” she says.

She has said this numerous time in her old interviews before that she would never back down especially due to her background she came from and her never giving up sprit in the final lanes of 800 m running event was recorded as one of the best moments in Sporting history.

“As I began running, the pain was excruciating. But after the first 200m, something magical happened. I couldn’t feel anything. However, even though there was no pain, I could feel that I couldn’t perform to my optimal level.”

However people don’t recognize her on the streets due to no social media back then and taking about her current working life recently she has been promoted as a Superintendent post in Indian railways.