Manasi Joshi,30, is the wonder woman who went on to become a badminton champion even after losing one leg in an accident in 2011. She started playing badminton at a young age, but she never thought of taking it up as a profession. Prior to her accident, Manasi worked as a software engineer and played badminton just to keep herself fit.
Manasi Joshi bagged gold for India in the World Para-Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland on 25th August 2019. Manasi got top honors in the women’s singles SL3 final along with PV Sindhu who won her World Badminton Championship crown on the same day. Manasi defeated World No. 1 Parul Parmar to pick up the title.
“I earned it. Worked every bit for it,”
Manasi on Twitter
Manasi started playing badminton at the age of 8. After the accident in which she lost her leg, her motivation behind playing badminton was mainly to maintain her fitness. She had a desk job and wanted to keep herself fit but gradually it became a passion for her.
Manasi Joshi prepared herself well before going to the event. She went through tough training sessions at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad, India. She did three training sessions a day and lost some weight to improve her fitness.
Manasi’s father who is a retired scientist from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre encouraged her to play badminton from a very young age. She completed her graduation in Electrical Engineering from Mumbai in 2010. In 2011, she met with the fatal road accident in which she lost her left leg. But this did not break her courage. She started working on skills in badminton as a para-athlete and in September 2015, she went to win a Silver Medal in Mixed doubles at the Para-Badminton World Championship held in England. Manasi won a Bronze medal for India at the Asian Para Games 2018, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. She also won a Gold medal for India at the Para Olympics 2019.
At the Gopichand academy, she met a mental conditioning coach and took up a few sessions. It brought about a difference in her attitude and also reflected in her game which improved considerably.
“I noticed a lot of changes. After these sessions I kept reminding myself – I am powerful, I can do it. Many thoughts go through a player’s mind during a match. When you get nervous, you start talking to yourself. These are the times when you should not do this, so I understood the importance of keeping your composure.”
Manasi Joshi
Manasi Joshi gives a very inspiring message to all the people chasing their dreams in life:
“People lose hope because there are people around them who tell them that it will be difficult. I want to tell everyone that it is really easy. If you think you want to do it, you will find people who will help you and make you reach where you are supposed to go. Things are extremely easy. All we require is honesty and patience.”
Manasi Joshi is an icon, an example for all those who want to give up on life after losing something very big. She has shown it’s never impossible to get back and give a hard punch to all the tough times which want to test your strength. She is the Wonderful Woman pushing boundaries. Manasi has a long way to go. She is a real hero inspiring millions out there. Proud of you Girl!!
So inspiring! You are amazing Manasi!
Thank you for sharing that story.
What an inspiration. People can achieve so much!
She’s such an inspiring woman! Thank you for sharing her story.