FPJ x Exclusive | From Injury Setback To Asian Games Dream: India's Triple Jump Star Niharika Vashisht Sets Sight On Gold With Renewed Determination
· Free Press Journal
India's triple jump sensation Niharika Vashisht has carved a promising path in Indian athletics through sheer courage, resilience, and an unwavering belief in her abilities. From her early days in Mohali to overcoming a career-threatening ACL injury, Niharika opens up about her journey in athletics, the challenges she has faced, and the determination that helped her bounce back stronger.
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In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, Vashisht also reflected about her recent 13.41m jump that helped her breach the Asian Games qualification mark, along with her expectations heading into the big stage.
Excerpts...
1) Can you tell us a little about your background and how did athletics became a part of your life?
As a child, I was very much active from the very beginning. When I was in school, I used to compete in all the competitions at the school level and at the district level. I used to play basketball and athletics too. So I was a very active child in school. So it was in 10th grade when I actually realised that this is something that I would want to do professionally, because my parents, they both weren't from an athletic background or a sports background. So it was me who realised when I was in 10th that, you know, maybe I could make a career in sports. And that is when I asked my parents to find me a coach, and they found me a coach in Swaran Singh sir. He used to train here locally; he's a retired coach from SAI, and I've been training with him ever since.
2) Since you have grew up in Mohali, how did your environment and family shape your sporting ambitions?
Talking about Mohali, there is not a very big sports culture. There is a lot of growth now, but back when I started there were very few athletes from Mohali. My parents have been very supportive throughout my journey; as I said earlier, even if they didn't know anything about the sport or they weren't from a sporting background, they helped me throughout my journey. My father actually left his corporate job to support my dreams. And he's there at every training session. He goes with me to the competitions, and he takes care of all the needs that are required in order to fulfil my sporting journey. So I think my family played a major role in shaping my sporting career.
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3) When you look back at your journey so far, what stands out the most defining phase of your career?
It was back in 2022 when I tore my ACL. I went through rehab and everything. Before that, you could say, I was performing at a very mediocre level, but only after that did I realise that I have this potential. I just can't let it go to waste. I have to come back, and I have to be one of those elite athletes. I knew my potential; my coach and family knew my potential. It was only on paper that the potential had to come out with a good performance. And there's something in me; it just got struck, like the anger, the passion, and the hunger to do something bigger at higher levels. After 2022, nothing could stop me from growing and chasing after my dreams.
4) You recently crossed the Asian Games qualifying mark with a 13.41m jump, can you tell us about that performance?
It didn't come as a surprise to me because I had been jumping (13.41m) in my training sessions as well. I was actually pretty much excited to compete in this competition because I knew my training was going well and my jumps were going well. I just wanted them to get the jumps recorded as soon as possible. So I was very excited for this season to start, and now that the season has started on a promising note, I hope to improve much later in the season as well.
5) Now, with the Asian Games qualification achieved, what are your expectations going into the event?
Since the (qualification) mark has been achieved, I want to win a medal for India, and I hope to improve my jump in the upcoming season, and I think it is very much possible. I would be there as a medal contender. So going in for the Asian Games competition, I would definitely want to win a gold medal for India.
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6) You executed the jump using only a 10-stride run-up, so does a relatively shorter approach help you personally perform better compared to a longer approach?
No, actually it was like a very conscious choice of going for the shorter approach, as it's still very early in the season and I have to peak later in the season. That is why I wanted to play it safe and not get injured or overexert myself in the very first competition. That is why I stuck to a shorter approach. But later, as the season progresses and when I know that "this is the time" that I would want to peak, that is when I would go for a longer approach and my full approach and hopefully jump better.
7) Triple jump is a very physically demanding sport, so in order to train your physique for competing at the highest level, which aspect of your body do you tend to focus on more?
Actually, the triple jump is something that requires your strength, speed, rhythm and good technique. So I think it's like a combination sport where you need to work on all aspects of your body, from lifting heavy in the gym to sprinting fast on the track and also executing all those things in the right way when you actually execute the jump. So I think that requires your overall strength. I do not like differentiating between maybe "I'll train this part less or train that part more." It needs overall development of the body and the right execution.
8) Can you walk us through your usual training routine and what sort of diet plan you tend to follow?
I train twice a day. So I have my jump session once a week followed by some triple jump drills. Plyometrics plays a very important part. So we do hurdles and lots of boxes and all those plyometrics trainings maybe twice or thrice a week, along with the strength program. So, as I said earlier, the triple jump requires overall development. So every day it's a new workout. Every day we have something new to focus upon, and it never gets boring. It's always fun to have different kinds of workouts every day. I follow a very high-protein diet. I make sure that there is some sort of protein in every meal for my breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't eat sugar, I don't eat fried food, and so there are a lot of restrictions on my food as well. So we are sticking to a clean and complete diet.
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9) From a technical perspective, how do you find the right balance between speed and strength?
As I told you earlier, it's all about execution. You might be sprinting too fast, or you're timing well, but if you don't execute that speed in your jump or if you're not able to control your jump with that kind of speed, then there is no use of running that fast on the track. When I run, my speed is very controlled on track, so when I triple jump, I'm able to control all three phases, and I'm able to execute the jump well.
10) What goes through your mind before executing your jump? Do you feel nervous, excited or any other such emotions?
I am actually very much excited. Before every jump I just feel like this jump should be better than the previous one. So this is something that keeps on going in my mind. Okay, I have to execute better this time. I have to maybe run faster this time or maybe I have to plant my foot better this time as compared to the previous one. So that alone gives me a lot of excitement.
11) Back in the day, you had suffered an ACL injury, which is considered career-threatening for many athletes, so can you talk to us about that experience?
So the ACL injury happened just one month before I was going to compete. I was going to open my season, and just a month before I tore my ACL in one of my training sessions. So I actually did not know much about ACL at that time. It was only when I went to the doctor and he told me that it's going to take some time to get it, like, fully recovered. And I was like, 'Okay, what time?' Maybe a month or two. And then he was like, 'You don't need to rush into anything, but it generally takes one year of full rehab to fully recover.' And I was like so taken aback at that time because that was the very same year when the Asian Games were going to happen, and I felt like all my dreams were shattered because now I couldn't go for the Asian Games back in 2022. So yes, I was working out. I was doing my rehab with my heart broken, but you know, I was feeling sad and I was having all those emotions, but I never let that come in between the consistency and my daily routine. I used to cry, but I still used to go for my rehab, and that was like a very difficult year. I was travelling to meet my physios. I was travelling for my surgery, and there were so many things happening, and now that I look back at it, I'm just simply very happy, like, okay, maybe four years back when I couldn't qualify for the Asian Games, but this year I'm able to qualify for that. So finally that long-lasting dream is going to come true.
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12) Apart from your athletics journey, you have ventured into the world of creating content on social media. Can you tell how the whole thing started?
So, the whole thing started back in 2020 when the lockdown happened. We all know everybody became a creator during the lockdown, and everybody was putting out cooking videos, dancing videos, home workout videos and everything. That is when I fell in love with the process of shooting content and editing. At that time I did not think much about, like, how it's going to happen or what the future of content creating is or anything. I was just simply putting my videos out for fun, and I wanted everybody to know what kind of training I'm doing. I wanted them to know what kind of harsh and intense training athletes go through. I just wanted the world to know. I was in love with that process, and it soon became like a part-time thing. But yes, it became like a good part of my life.
13) How to do you balance between handling your training and your content creation?
So I do not generally focus more on content-creating. It's like a by-product of the training. It's like a routine. I go for training every day, and what I just do is shoot my training videos now. I used to go training 10 years back also, but I never recorded them. Now it's the same thing; I go for training every day. The only thing that has changed is that it is getting recorded on a video, and later when I have time, I do the editing, and then I post it on social media. So it hasn't hampered my training or anything. It's just happening along. It actually motivates me only to train better when I'm being recorded or, you know, maybe look better and focus on the skill that I'm doing.
14) Since we are having off-track discussions. You have previously worked with Akshay Kumar for an advertisement? Can you tell us about that experience?
The advertisement with Akshay Kumar sir happened through my social media only. The casting director of the ad shoot reached out to me. So I feel social media is very powerful in terms of connecting with people and getting all those opportunities. So I think it's a very powerful tool, and I am happy to be a part of it.
15) Would you be interested in working alongside Akshay Kumar for a movie, later down the road?
Of course, why not? if I get an offer. Right now my focus is on my sports career entirely. But maybe after my retirement.
16) If your biopic comes out, which Bollywood actress do you think can portray your role?
I think it's too soon to answer that question. Right now, my focus is on winning medals for India, and maybe later we can have this discussion. But I don't think I can answer that question right now.
17) Do you have any favourite food item which you like to eat on your cheat day?
I crave sugar a lot even though I don't eat it. So whenever I feel like today is my cheat day or whenever I get a cheat day, I eat a good loaded sugary food, maybe a brownie or ice cream or something of that sort. So yes, I have a sweet tooth, but I tend to just control those feelings.
With her eyes now set on the Asian Games podium, Niharika Vashisht’s journey stands as a compelling story of perseverance, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.