After just clinching her spot in the 4x400m mixed relay event at the Tokyo Olympics, Revathi Veeramani will have more than a billion hearts pulling for her when she dons the India jersey and runs for the country. Reevathi had a tragic childhood where she and her sister were reared by their grandmother in Madurai after their parents died while they were children. Their grandmother struggled to raise kids as a daily wage labourer, prioritising schooling above all extracurricular activities.
Revathi’s talent was recognised by Coach Kannan, who had seen her run in school. Coach Kannan saw Revathi for the first time when she raced for a zonal-level competition without shoes. Mr. Kannan went on to train her and financially assist her, as well as giving food and lodging at his home. He encouraged the young athlete to practise harder and seek a career in athletics, seeing her great skill and potential. Revathi was accepted into the Lady Dock College in Madurai, where she completed her training, thanks to his assistance.
Revathi previously competed for India in the Asian Games in Doha in 2006, when she finished fourth. She is, nevertheless, adamant about winning a medal in the Olympics. Apart from training as an athlete, Revathi also works as a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) in the Indian Railways.
