Get to know... Tejas Shirse

National Record Holder Tejas Shirse (@TejasShirse) is India’s fastest sprint hurdler. He likes to doomscroll, sing in the shower and read his fan mail

Get to know... Tejas Shirse

• Currently I am

  Training for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics 2028.

• High point in life

  The 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. We finished 26th. But I was performing, after an injury, proving myself on the global stage.

• Low point in life

  Injuries. They were my nemesis. Now, I journal, study why they happen, push through and use them to do better.

• On my playlist

  Heart of a Champion, by Nelly; Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble; Sirius & Eye in the Sky, by Eric Woolfson. Glass Half Full, by Talha Anjum.

• One thing I would never buy

  Flip flops.

• Today I’m craving

  Fresh blueberries.

• Last thing I ordered online

  Protein powder.

• App I check before going to bed

  My alarm.

• Advice I’d give my 18-year-old self

  Enjoy life, don’t stress. It’s not that serious, bro.

• My favourite subject in school

  Science.

• My secret skill is

  I can sing only in the shower.

• A magic tool I wish I had

  Doraemon’s Anywhere Door, a portal to travel anywhere, instantly.

• My favourite Sunday memory

  Strolling around the track before sunrise, before others arrive, breathing in the stillness.

• My most star-struck moment

  Meeting Mukesh Ambani at an International Olympic Committee event. One of his security personnel was carrying an M416.

• My favourite bad habit

  Scrolling Reels.

• If I could travel forward or back in time I’d…

  Go back and buy some Bitcoin on the cheap.

• The best thing about fame

  Fan mail. Each one carries real emotion.

• The worst thing about fame

  It’s an illusion. Often it’s just noise, not real connection.