Sakshi Chavan: Turning troughs into triumphs and double golds on fast track

“The first thing was not to make a foul start and the second was knowing that I had the chance of winning a double gold." These words echoed in sprinter Sakshi Chavan's head as she was at the cusp of competing in her last junior race, the 100m event at the Junior National Athletics meet in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha in December.
Ultimately, everything worked out in the 19-year-old's favour as she was adjudged the U-20 Best Female Athlete of the tournament for her stupendous display in the 100m and 200m events that saw her etch her personal best of 11.86s in the women's 100m race and 24.14s in the women's 200m final, a new meet record en route to a splendid sprint double. This was the second consecutive year where a RF athlete bagged this award, with Sabita Toppo having being adjudged the 'Best Female Athlete' in the 2023 edition.

Chavan opined, “Before the 100m final, I knew this was the last junior race I was taking part in and I was sentimental. I did not want to lose this race anyhow, I wanted to win."

Chavan was clear about what she specifically needed to do to comfort herself with good food and sleep after days of dealing with oscillating thoughts.
“The main thing was no foul start. Once you foul start, everything is finished. Before the 100m, it was a calm start; before the 200m, I knew I was very close to the meet record, and the first thing I told myself was 'Don't make a foul start and you will get the double gold.' So I knew if I had to win the double gold, I had to run fast. The main thing was just to finish the race as soon as possible."

And Chavan was able to achieve this even with a slow start, with her innate ability to fast track her way to the finish line, sans any boisterous celebration. “Sprinters are supposed to be aggressive, but I am very calm. During competitions also, people shout, but I am silent. Even my coaches ask me to shout a bit, even the commentators highlight how easy and relaxed I look. I put in my effort, but it looks like I am walking in a garden. You have to perform. After you perform, everything will come to you."

Albeit, this story is not a completely feel-good one; it comes with sticky undertones of trials in 2024 with an injury-laden season. “Mentally, you have to be very strong as an athlete in between all the setbacks and comebacks. If you are not performing, people will talk about you. Even if you perform well once, people will say that this was just one performance and nothing more."

Earlier in April, Chavan qualified for Junior Asian Athletics Championships and was part of the promising relay team that was favourite to win a Gold for India. To their dismay, one of her teammates dropped the baton and the team got disqualified.

A new challenge reared its head at Chavan again when she had her sights set on taking part at the World Athletics U20 Championships in August as she tore her hamstring in training. “I watched stories of my friends on social media going to the World Championship and felt helpless. Again, right before the SAAF Junior Athletic Championships, I was out due to injury. I felt like I was not on the road to recovery at all. I was training, but was dealing with so much pain."

Chavan prepared herself for one more setback when the Junior National Athletic Championships got postponed just days before the competition, but kept going for treatment, physiotherapy until a rescheduled date kickstarted the last competition of the year for her. “Finally, I made a meet record and national record for 100m and then a new meet record in 200m, ending a good juniors' season."

The Reliance Foundation chapter has been a career defining one for Chavan. An athlete from Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), Chavan​ has been part of the ecosystem for around a year and six months – and has benefitted from the sports science interventions.
“People look for individual components like physiotherapy, ice baths, strength and conditioning – but we have everything, so I am grateful for that. The main thing is recovery. The food, the coaches and the training plan has helped me a lot to perform to the best of my abilities."

Other than noticing a massive difference in training with James Hillier, Director of Athletics at Reliance Foundation, who allows her to switch up her training with dynamic routines, Chavan also touches upon the harsh reality of how facilities for athletes can be inadequate across India.
“When I was in the U16 category, I had a partial ACL tear. I struggled through all of this as there were no recovery methods, physiotherapy in Aurangabad at that time. I used to go to an orthopaedic, but that was insufficient to treat a sports injury. Injuries that could have recovered in two months took nearly six months to a year to recover."

However, things are now different for her. “I knew that I could make a comeback sooner because of the support of the physiotherapists. And they know what an athlete needs. I was injured here for 3-4 months, I continued with my gym sessions, there has been an opportunity to maintain a routine, focus on strength and conditioning. Before I did not have the correct guidance to train while I was injured." Chavan gives credit to some of her pillars in the Reliance ecosystem like Bhagyashree ma'am, Relga ma'am, Debi sir and Sonia Baishya, a senior athlete.

Chavan stands at the threshold of a new chapter in 2025 – a new season ahead of her with an extra candle added on her birthday cake around mid-January, which means she will be a part of the senior cohort now on. Her goal for 2025? “I want to keep talking positively to myself. Everything will come true." And in case Chavan​ forgets that, she will be reminded by a couple of tangible positives around her. “I have the Indian flag in my room, the bib number that I got at the Junior Asian and the timings that I want to achieve that are in front of my bed. I have quotes around me to help me stay positive." And in case that does not help on some days, she knows she can fall back on her army of people in 2025.