Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): From being bed-ridden for three years due to severe injuries in both the legs to bouncing back in the boxing ring, a girl from Bhopal overpowered the challenges that came her way to win bronze medal at the 74th International Boxing Tournament Strandja Cup held in Sofia, Bulgaria, recently.
Twenty-one-year-old Shruti Yadav’s success story is about sheer courage as she made a comeback in the boxing ring following severe injuries. Yadav’s life changed in 2017 and 2018. She tore her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2017, and her right ACL in 2018.
And when she thought that life couldn’t get any more miserable, she suffered meniscus tear (knee cartilage injury) in 2019. Yadav was wheelchair-bound for a few months after the injury and bed-bound for three years after the surgery.
Despite all the physical pain and mental stress, pugilist Shruti didn’t give up and ended up winning her first silver medal after recovery in December 2022. And now she has won a bronze for the country. "I was depressed. I wanted to give up many times, but I also wanted to enter boxing ring; I wanted to fight," she said.
Remembering the horrors of her recovery period, Yadav said, "Recovery period was deadly but the comeback period was worse." Maintaining weight for any athlete is the most important thing, and I had gained around 15 kg. “Coming back on track and standing up on my feet was hard, but now I feel much better, and I have a lot to achieve," she added.
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