Swasti Singh: A Cycling Journey Built on Hard Work

Swasti Singh: A Cycling Journey Built on Hard Work and Patience

Swasti Singh, cycling champion, cycling career, national games, road cycling, track cycling, cycling training, Khelo India Youth Games, South Asian Games, cycling practice, cycling infrastructure, SSI Emerging Player

Swasti Singh’s Early Cycling Journey

India’s cycling champion Swasti Singh clinched gold at the 37th National Games in Goa, putting India on the map in track and field. As a child, she wanted to carve a place for herself in the highest echelons of India’s sporting history. However, her potential was not revealed until she was in Class VIII.

Her journey began with a circular issued in her school, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Rourkela, in 2015. The circular announced that there would be a track cycling state meet about 300 km from Rourkela, where Swasti lived.

Along with two other girls, she decided to give it a try. To her surprise, all the other participants were boys. Unfazed and determined, she was selected to participate in the state meet at Cuttack. It was there that she tasted success for the first time, representing her school and winning five gold medals.

The victory lifted her spirit and encouraged her to look back again. Her coach, Sushil Kumar Das, also encouraged her to put her heart and soul into cycling.

From National Medals to International Success

Swasti’s next major step came at the 23rd National Road Cycling Championship at Kurukshetra in 2018. She went on to win her first national medal in the 15-kilometre individual time trial event.

At the age of 17, Swasti won her first international gold medal in the junior women’s 2-kilometre individual pursuit event of the 5th Asian Cup Track Cycling held at Talkatora Velodrome in New Delhi.

In 2019, she created a new national record of 2:35:161 seconds, beating her own previous record of 2:37:00 seconds, to win a bronze medal in the 2-kilometre individual pursuit event of the Track Asia Cup Cycling Championships.

She also won silver in the women’s individual road race event at the 13th South Asian Games in Kathmandu.

Khelo India Youth Games Achievement

At the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, Swasti bagged two gold and one silver in the U-21 girls’ category.

Her achievements were the outcome of consistent hard work. Regardless of the time of the year, she pedals for 90 to 120 km every day for cycling practice, both on the track and on the roads. Besides cycling, she also works out at the gymnasium.

“I devote at least six to seven hours a day to my practice session,” she said while talking to Sports Science India (SSI) on the sidelines of Odisha’s first Sports Science Conclave, held on December 16 at Kalinga Stadium.

SSI Emerging Player Award

Swasti was awarded the SSI Emerging Player award at the conclave. She is also the recipient of the Ekalavya Purashkar and Biju Patnaik Sports Award.

Her growing list of achievements reflects the dedication she has shown throughout her cycling career.

Challenges of Cycling in India

When it comes to the challenges she faced, Swasti said much of it was because the country lacks proper cycling infrastructure.

“Be it for recreation or professional sport, a cyclist is not safe on Indian roads and lacks proper infrastructure for practice.”

In Delhi, she now has facilities for practice at the Velodrome. But in Rourkela, she had nowhere to practise except on the roads, which were dangerous, she recalled.

In 2017, Swasti met with an accident at Rourkela during a practice session before a cyclothon.

“My eyes were injured in the accident. But, I wasn’t bogged down. I participated in the cyclothon and won it,” she said.

Hard Work and Patience in Cycling

For youngsters who want to take up cycling, Swasti believes hard work and patience are the most essential qualities to nurture.

“It may take years to get success. You have to be patient and practise every day,” she said.

Swasti Singh’s journey from a schoolgirl in Rourkela to a cyclist achieving success at national and international events shows the importance of hard work, patience and no shortcuts. Her achievements in road cycling, track cycling, the South Asian Games and the Khelo India Youth Games reflect years of dedicated practice and determination.