When the monsoons arrived, the fishermen and other seafarers weighed their anchors, docked their boats safely and went home. No one saw me, the lonely speck bobbing and struggling everyday in the angry monsoons seas off Bombay city.

Unbeknownst to all but my yachting family, I resolutely set course as a 9 year old to master the waves in my little Optimist dinghy. Since then I have charted my chosen course faithfully and today I am at the doorsteps of the Olympics.

Having traversed the junior days in the Optimist Class and 420 Class, representing India at the Asian Games, Continental and World Championships, I am now competing in the toughest racing fleet in the world today – the single-handed Olympic category, Laser Class. I won the senior national title at the age of 19 and have been continuously working hard to improve my international ranking. Recent titles and medals at the Europa Cup, Euromed Regatta, Asian Championship and the Abu Dhabi Open have boosted me. I am confident I will compete and do well at the Tokyo Olympics later this year.

I know the path to excellence is tough but I have the perseverance, discipline and a belief in my larger mission and myself. I do not regret to forgo the normal adventures and social life of my age and focus instead to, in Kipling’s words, “fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.”