The story of this sixteen year old champion is all the motivation you will need today. No. She’s not just another girl winning laurels for the country and here’s why. This extraordinary teenager bagged four gold medals for the country in the Commonwealth powerlifting championship, which is her debut competition at the global level.
In a sport which has feeble female participation, Rishitaa Jain set the bar high with only one-year of dedicated training and stood as an inspiring example.Rishitaa Jain has won the Gold medal in the 52kg sub-junior category in classic and equipped powerlifting at the 8th Women’s & Men’s Open, Sub/Jr, Junior & Masters Commonwealth Classic & Equipped Powerlifting, Classic & Equipped Bench Press Championships 2019.
The event took place in St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada from 15 – 21 September 2019. Jain, a resident of Delhi, is a student from Prudence School in Ashok Vihar. Rishitaa’s mother, Mrs.Shweta Jain, in conversation with The Youth said that Rishitaa is ambitious and very active.
She reminisces the time when Rishitaa, as a child, wanted to be a ballet dancer. In school, Rishitaa was very much into sports and had taken part in numerous competitions in gymnastics at the zonal level. But it was not until 2018 that Rishitaa started training in powerlifting!!
Powerlifting is a strength sport and weight training exercise that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Rishitaa’s father, Mr.Rishi Jain, had an important role to play in this youngster’s success.
Having been a powerlifter himself, he encouraged Rishita to join powerlifting and get proper training in the sport. That is when she started professionally training in the sport. Considering the feeble female participation in powerlifting, Rishita was initially unsure of the sport. But she was curious to try and see how it is. That is how it all started and she began to love it.
Rishitaa claims her father to be her role model and pillar of strength throughout. He helped overcome her fear in the initial stages and provided support and encouragement. However, her mentor Mr.Javed Mehta is her primary inspiration. He helped her sharpen her skills and motivated her to fight through obstacles.
Mrs.Shweta Jain also told The Youth that it wasn’t an easy task to maintain a balance between training and her schooling, but Rishitaa has done a commendable job by securing a good percentage in her boards as well.
Astonishingly, Rishitaa is a proud vegetarian.
With the widespread notion that meat and protein supplements are pre requisites in a typical powerlifter’s diet, Rishitaa tends to go the natural way. She concentrates on eating sprouts, dry fruits, tofu etc – not even egg!!
- Rishitaa’s achievements –
Secured 1st place in 52 kgs weight class sub-junior Delhi state powerlifting championship - Secured 3rd place in 57 kgs weight class sub-junior national powerlifting at Kanpur
- Secured 5th place in 52 kgs weight class sub-junior national unequipped Bench-press championship at Pune
- 4 gold medals at Commonwealth powerlifting federation in Canada
“Rishitaa plans to continue the game and is now aspiring for World and Asia games, which are pretty hard to crack. So she is totally dedicated to her preparation for further international games and to make the country proud,” said the proud mother, Mrs.Shweta Jain.
Rishitaa’s mother expressed grief over the situation where Rishitaa, at such a young age, has done something exceptional but there’s no recognition from government or no coverage by the media.
She stresses over the importance to promote such young talent so that more girls get motivated to join the game. With the level of commitment and dedication Rishitaa portrays, she is sure to conquer the sport and is a star in making.