Gomathi would walk to college as we could not afford her cycle: Brother

Gomathi (30) lives in Mudikandam village in Manikandam union in Tiruchy district and had completed her schooling from St Thomas Higher Secondary School, Nazareth in Pudukkottai district and graduated from Holy Cross College Tiruchy and did her masters from St Joseph’s College in Chennai.

Right from childhood, Gomathi was fascinated with athletics. She attended her first international event in 2013 but did not fare well in it. She, however, continued her training and in 2013 Asian championship, she ranked seventh.

Hurdles in her career began after her coach Gandhi died of cardiac arrest in 2016 and her father Marimuthu too succumbed to an illness in the same year. Although she was mentally disturbed with both the losses, her determination to do her best in athletics did not waver. So, she continued her training.

Her hard work bore fruit gradually and she bagged gold in the Federation cup in 800-metre category. But the time, she got a job in the Income tax department and was placed at Bangalore, she was ready for the tracks.

Her recent achievement of finishing the 800-metre race in 2.7 minutes secured India its first gold in the Asian championship. This, incidentally, made her hamlet, Mudikandam, popular across the nation and the locals have been celebrating her victory as their own.

According to her brother Subramani, a guard, the siblings had a tough life growing up and Gomathi, the youngest among four siblings, was brilliant in academics as well as in althletics. “She had a passion towards athletics and used to walk to the stadium and to the college as we could not afford to buy her a cycle,” Subramanian said. He also said that while the entire family was shattered after the loss of their father, Gomathi found solace in her sport and returned to training soon.

Meanwhile, Gomathi’s mother Rasathi—who is not aware of the magnitude of her daughter’s achievement— was alerted by her neighbour that Gomathi was on the television. Rasathi said that Gomathi had won several cups during her school and college days and expressed happiness that Gomathi has been able to support the entire family financially.