From lifting firewood to Olympic silver medal: How Manipur's Mirabai Chanu defied the odds

Mirabai Chanu became India's first medalist at the Olympics 2021. The Manipur resident registered a total of 202 kg to seal the silver medal in weightlifting. Chanu is only the second Indian to win a medal in weightlifting.

After a disappointing Games in Rio, Chanu's return to the grand stage was marked by determination and confidence. Here is a look at Chanu's incredible journey to becoming an Olympic medalist.

#TeamIndia | #Tokyo2020 | #Weightlifting Women's 49kg ResultsSilver lined beginning for India! @mirabai_chanu wins Silver medal in @Tokyo2020 Weightlifting becoming the only 2nd Indian weightlifter ever to win an #Olympics medal. #WayToGo champ #EkIndiaTeamIndia #Cheer4India pic.twitter.com/oNqElqBGU2

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) July 24, 2021

Chanu's early show of strength

As a child, Mirabai Chanu showed great physical strength. She would lift heavy logs of wood her brother couldn't and walk with ease carrying the weight. She would also walk a considerable distance to fetch water for the household. The hardships she faced at a young age paved her way to becoming one of India's best weightlifters.

Reminiscing about Chanu's childhood, her mother Biont Meetae told India Today:

" After she grew up, she would come back and ask us to come pick wood. If anyone else could not lift a lot of heavy wood, Mirabai would pick it. And the others would say: 'Okay, you are a weightlifter now, pick up our wood also.'"

Chanu's years of struggle to pursue training

Mirabai Chanu was inspired by Kunjarani Devi. The Manipuri weightlifter won seven silver medals at the World Championships. Mirabai chose to follow her idol's path and decided to get into an academy. She lived in Nongpok Kakching, a small town in Imphal without adequate training facilities. Mirabai had to travel about 22 kilometers everyday to get to the academy.

Mirabai Chanu's early days in weightlifting

Training under Anita Chanu, Mirabai was not allowed to train with proper equipment initially. The first six months saw Chanu train with bamboo trunks. This helped Mirabai's technique before she started training with proper equipment.

Mirabai Chanu's career as a weightlifter

Mirabai Chanu won her first national medal at the junior level in 2011. Since then, she has not looked back. At the age of 19, she won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This set the tone for a perfect career. She kept winning medals at international levels and established herself as one of the favorites to win a medal in Rio.

Mirabai's disappointing performance in Rio

Mirabai Chanu had a disappointing run at the Rio Olympics. She only managed one successful attempt in her six lifts. This disappointment changed her life.

Mirabai Chanu's career after Rio disappointment

After the failure in Rio, Chanu silenced her critics by winning gold at the World Championships. She was only the second Indian, after Karnam Malleshwari, to win a World Championship gold. Her next victory came at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. Chanu broke the Games record on her way to victory in Gold Coast.

The Covid-19 induced lockdown slowed things down for her. But once competitions resumed, Mirabai continued her brilliance. She went on to set a new clean and jerk world record at the Asian Championships in Tashkent with a 119 kg lift to win bronze.

Mirabai Chanu's dream of Olympic glory fulfilled

Falling short of words for this smile, happiness and pride! Congratulations @mirabai_chanu 🙌👏#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/ES30QRy2ii

— Team India (@WeAreTeamIndia) July 24, 2021

In Tokyo, Mirabai Chanu had the hopes of the entire nation weighing on her shoulders, along with the heavy weights she is used to lifting. She looked focused from the onset. Her previous disappointment in clean and jerk turned into her biggest strength in Tokyo. She lifted 110 kg in her first attempt, which she improved to 115 in the second.