Growing up in Chennai, Krishna Jayasankar was surrounded by sporting excellence. Her parents, both former captains of India's national basketball teams, dedicated their lives to the game. Their home was a revolving door of athletes, coaches and national team stars. Yet despite being born into Indian basketball royalty, Krishna knew early on that she wanted to carve out her own path.
"One thing I knew for certain was that I didn't want to become a basketball player," she says in an interaction with NDTV Profit.
The decision wasn't born out of rebellion. It came from witnessing the sacrifices her parents made in pursuit of sporting success and recognition that often never fully arrived. While basketball shaped her childhood, it also convinced her that her future lay elsewhere.
That future arrived unexpectedly in the fifth grade at Chennai's SBOA School, when a physical education teacher recruited her to compete in shot put. "I don't think I chose track and field," Krishna says. "I think track and field-specifically throwing-chose me."
Today, the 23-year-old is one of India's most accomplished throwers. She became the first Indian woman to breach the 16-metre mark in indoor shot put, the first Indian female thrower to earn an NCAA Division I scholarship, and the first Indian woman to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in shot put. But her journey to those milestones was anything but straightforward.
A Trailblazer's Burden
For Krishna, pursuing throwing events in India often meant navigating a path with very few role models and even fewer resources. "Very few Indian women go into throwing events," she says. "I couldn't find someone who looked like me."
The lack of representation was accompanied by a lack of infrastructure. Training facilities were scarce. Equipment was difficult to access. Coaching support was inconsistent. "I would go to a mud track and draw a throwing circle with chalk," she recalls. "I didn't own throwing shoes. I trained in Bata canvas shoes."
Yet even as a teenager, Krishna's ambitions stretched far beyond local competitions. She dreamed of representing India at the World Under-20 Championships and eventually the Olympics. The challenge was figuring out how to bridge the gap between ambition and opportunity. That realization led to one of the most important decisions of her life.
Leaving Home to Chase Dream
"Being the first is different. Being a trailblazer is not glamorous," Krishna says.
In 2019, she met Jamaican coach Horace Michael Russell during an athletics academy programme in India. Russell became a mentor and eventually a father figure. More importantly, he opened her eyes to possibilities beyond India's borders.
"He told me, 'I truly believe you can survive and thrive in the United States.'"
The conversation stayed with her.
When the pandemic disrupted sporting careers around the world, Krishna's plans appeared uncertain. But with the support of her family and Russell, she took a leap of faith, moving to Jamaica despite having no sponsorship. "My parents somehow managed to make it happen," she says. "I still don't know how they pulled it off."
The gamble paid off. Her stint in Jamaica eventually paved the way for a scholarship in the United States, a move that transformed both her athletic career and her worldview.
Discovering a Bigger Stage
For Krishna, the biggest change after moving overseas wasn't better facilities or equipment. It was exposure. "The biggest difference was exposure," she says.
Suddenly, she was competing against Olympians, world champions and athletes she had only seen online. She found herself training in world-class environments, travelling regularly for competitions and experiencing a level of professionalism that was difficult to imagine during her early days in India.
"I came from a background where, if we travelled for competitions, we sometimes slept in school halls," she says. "To go from that environment to receiving Nike gear and training in world-class facilities was a huge transition."
The NCAA system proved particularly influential. Balancing academics, training and competition taught her discipline and accountability while exposing her to one of the world's most competitive sporting ecosystems.
The results followed. She became the first Indian athlete to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships and later the first Indian woman to compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships in shot put. "When you arrive in places like Eugene and compete at the NCAA Championships, it feels like you've truly made it," she says.
Redefining Strength
While Krishna's achievements on the field have broken barriers, her impact off it may prove equally significant. As a young girl, she often felt different because of her physique. Comments about her appearance left lasting scars.
"People made comments about my appearance. They made me feel unattractive. They made me feel different," she says.
For years, those experiences weighed heavily on her. But eventually, she found a way to transform them into motivation.
One of her most powerful statements - "I throw for the girl I used to be" - has resonated with young women across the country.
"When I say that, I'm referring to my childhood and adolescence," she explains. "I experienced many of the same struggles that young girls face today."
Rather than allowing those experiences to define her, Krishna chose to use them as fuel. "My intention is simply to show that what others may see as a limitation can become a strength."
Her message comes at a time when conversations around body image and mental health are becoming increasingly important in Indian sport. As a thrower whose body does not conform to traditional beauty standards often celebrated in popular culture, Krishna has become an unexpected role model.
"Comparison is the thief of joy," she says. "When you're constantly comparing yourself to others, especially when you're already dealing with body image issues or insecurity, you can lose sight of who you really are."
Inspiring the Next Generation
The impact of her journey is already visible. Recently, during a panel discussion in Jaipur, young girls approached her to say they had taken up shot put and discus because they saw themselves in her story.
For Krishna, those moments matter as much as medals and records. "I know there are young athletes watching and believing that they can get there too," she says. "Hopefully achieve even more than I did."
Her advice to girls struggling with confidence, self-worth or self-image is simple yet powerful. "Keep standing up for yourself. Keep advocating for yourself. Because if you don't stand up for yourself, nobody else will do it for you."
It is a message forged through years of adversity, sacrifice and perseverance.
For the girl who once trained in canvas shoes on a chalk-drawn throwing circle, the journey has already been remarkable. But for Krishna Jayasankar, the goal has never been merely to throw farther than everyone else.
It has been to show an entire generation of young girls that they can define themselves on their own terms.
And with every throw, she is doing exactly that.
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