While some may know the young Manu Bhaker primarily as a 19 year old Olympian and an Arjuna awardee, the youngsters additionally see Bhaker as a relatable teen, who takes to the ‘gram to upload selfies with her squad and supports woke causes such as buying from local vendors, when not busy setting new world records with her air pistol. “To be hailed as a youth icon is a fabulous feeling,” admits Bhaker adding, “While I feel like I’m on top of the world, I do understand that such a privilege comes with immense responsibility.”
In a pandemic stricken world, failures and struggles have become rampant in our lives, more so than ever before. Sharing her mantra on how the young Olympian battles failures in her life, Bhaker says, “Keep believing in yourself, no matter what. It’s very difficult and almost impossible to avoid failures. But tough times always leave you with lessons. Accepting the situation at hand, learning from your past mistakes and preparing with increased efforts for future challenges is the key to living like a brave heart.”
The life of a young athlete is never easy. While Bhaker has seen grand victories like being the youngest Indian to win a gold medal at the 2018 International Shooting Sport Federation, she has also had to endure through tough waters like the Tokyo Olympics 2020 when due to technical difficulties her performance suffered. Bhaker advises the young on how to stand ground in tough times, “Put your trust in the right people in life. In times of glory, everyone will be seen with you, whereas, in times of failures and struggles, it’s only your family and friends who will be the wind behind your flight. So put your faith in your own people.”
Embracing a never say die attitude Bhaker is training hard for future competitions. Addressing the young brigade, Bhaker says, “My message for the youth is to always keep working hard, keep aiming to deliver better results and to truly believe in yourselves.”
{{/usCountry}}Embracing a never say die attitude Bhaker is training hard for future competitions. Addressing the young brigade, Bhaker says, “My message for the youth is to always keep working hard, keep aiming to deliver better results and to truly believe in yourselves.”
{{/usCountry}}Author tweets @FizzyBudhha