Tiruchirappalli: Neither poverty nor lack of proper nutrition and training could deter 25-year-old S Santhi, hailing from a remote village 70 km from here, from winning the 800m silver medal at the Doha Asian Games.
Her parents, Manimekalai (48) and Soundararajan (61), labourers in a brick kiln, barely had enough to feed their five children. Santhi survived on rice gruel or cooked rice soaked in buttermilk as staple food during her school days.
"It was sheer grit and zeal, rather than physical fitness that saw her win the silver," close friend and classmate R Kalavathi says.
Santhi exhibited a penchant for running even during her school days. She could be seen tearing around the playground even in scorching summer, she adds.
Her poverty or mounting pressure of her educational activities did not deter the young girl from strenuous practice at school, said her friend.
Santhi's talent was first spotted at the Vallathirakottai government high school in Kathakurichi village, where school authorities gave her all the encouragement possible. Timely help also came from a local college which decided to foot her college expenses.
Her initial training was at the hands of one V Loganathan, an Income Tax Officer, when she was at Pudukottai to complete her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration.
A scientific orientation to her training was added when Santhi reached Chennai to pursue an MCA degree at the Madras Christian College. She won prizes in sports activities like running, hockey and javelin throw.
The rich haul of prizes inspired Santhi to undergo more strenuous practice on the track, fine tuning her skills in 800m and in the nuances of 400m and 800m hurdles.
Thanks to the initiative taken by Tamil Nadu Amateur Athletic Association, Santhi was able to attend training camps at Bangalore as well as the National Institute of Sports in Patiala. The results were there for all to see - medals at a sports meet in South Korea in 2003.
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There was no looking back after this. The year 2004-05 saw her winning gold for Tamil Nadu at the National Athletic meet, drawing appreciation from the state government.
Manimekalai recalls with gratitude the Rs 1 lakh cash prize given by the state government then. "We bought two cows with the amount, which are still breadwinners for our family."
Santhi's parents had migrated 23 years ago from Navalpitti in Sri Lanka. Soundararajan's father was an amateur athlete in the island nation, with proven records in sprints, high jump and long jump.
The family still finds it difficult to make ends meet. They are able to sustain, courtesy the cash prizes that Santhi keeps winning now and then.
"It is not a happy situation," says Soundararajan, who, however, thanked Tamil Nadu government for the Rs 15 lakh cash award for their daughter's silver medal performance at Doha.
Both parents rue the fact that they were not able to watch Santhi's performance on television, as they could not afford one. They had to rest content with browsing through the newspapers the day after.
However, soon after the silver medal winning performance, a neighbour lent them a cellphone for them to speak to their daughter in Doha.
They nurse some dreams which they hope will be fulfilled now - a small house instead of the ramshackle place they live in right now and adequate funding to meet the educational expenses of their children.
As for Kalavathi, she is just waiting to greet Santhi when she returns home.
"One day perhaps she will be known as the 'Golden Girl' of athletics, like P T Usha," she says.
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