Surya Radhakrishnan started training at her parents’ gym in Bengaluru during this summer. With the father, Vivek, being a national-level cyclist and the mother, Namu, a triathlete, she too was keen to pick up a sport. Namu found her daughter to be innately strong. So, she let her train with their gym trainer. Surya slid into the gym routine like a smoothly turning key in a well-oiled lock — effortlessly fitting into each workout and occasionally unlocking new challenges. Her parents and coach were surprised by her swift progress. Soon, she was lifting the weights her father was lifting.
Even they would not have expected her to win a medal at an international event within a few months of starting training. But Surya, last month, won four gold medals in the teenagers (female), 60 kg category at the World Powerlifting Congress/Amateur World Powerlifting Congress (WPC/AWPC) Open World Cup in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The turning point came when Surya’s mother discovered a post on Instagram featuring Noah Eappen, a girl her age, who had triumphed at the earlier edition of the same event. The spark ignited, leading to a connection with coach Azzy, who saw the potential in Surya and guided her into the world of powerlifting.
