5 athletes in the Indian Olympic contingent who come from tribal regions

#5 OP Jaisha

OP Jaisha overcame adversities in times of utmost despair.

OP Jaisha is one of the bright hopes for the Indian athletic contingent at this year’s Rio Olympics. Born in the tribal region of north Kerala’s Wayanad district, the marathoner had to struggle a lot while growing up.

Unable to bear the acute hunger, there were days when she had to eat mud and her mother silently watched the horror with tears rolling down her eyes. No matter how difficult life got, Jaisha did not give up and put her heart and soul into her training.

Soon she became a two-time Asian Games medallist in the middle distance events and broke a two-decade old women’s marathon record not once but twice. She qualified for the Olympic Games after crossing the finish line in 2:34:43 in the World Athletics Championships.