Anju Bobby George was born on April 19, 1977, in Kerala and is one of the most prominent athletes of India. She has brought glory to the country by winning a bronze medal in the long jump competition in the 2003 World Championships held in Paris. This accomplishment not only made her the first Indian athlete to win a medal at this great event but also paved the way for other athletes in the future.
There were numerous obstacles that Anju had to overcome on her way to becoming an athlete. She was able to qualify for the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but an ankle injury that she had meant she could not compete. This was the time when Anju, who had been in the hospital, realized that she had been born with a solitary kidney—a condition referred to as renal agenesis.
This was rather surprising, particularly considering that it had never been identified throughout her athletic years. “I think if I wasn’t an athlete, I might not have even been aware that there was something wrong with me,” she said. Even with the doctor's advice to quit competitive sports, Anju did not pay heed and showed a lot of mental stamina and courage.
Her breakthrough was in 2003 when she jumped 6.70 meters to secure the bronze at the Worlds in Moscow. This triumph was not only individual; it was a historic moment in Indian athletics, which demonstrated to the world that Indian athletes are also capable of performing well on the international level. After this, she kept on setting records by clinching the gold in the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2005 and getting a personal best of 6.83 meters in the 2004 Olympic Games held in Athens.
Leaving behind her career as an athlete, Anju ventured into coaching and started the Anju Bobby George Sports Foundation in 2016 to help young talents, especially the girl child. She also highlights the need to encourage women in sporting activities through the provision of equal opportunities. “Sports can give more than medals; they bring employment and chances,” she says.
Anju also supports change in mental health. Sharing her own stories when she has been in the middle of the competitive schedules, she stresses the importance of the psychological aspect in sports and in general. ‘If we only believe in ourselves, our body can do great things,’ she says.
Currently, Anju is still involved in athletics, as a coach and a trainer for young talents, besides being a mother and a gender equality activist. This transition of the athlete with personal issues to the icon of young women shows her dedication to positive change. Anju Bobby George’s story is one of determination and hope, and her success is the success story of a girl from a small village who fought all her life to achieve what she wanted.
