Felt lighter than mom's load: Tamilnadu Powerlifter Kasturi Rajamurty

As a child, Kasturi Rajamurty watched her 52-year-old mother carry heavy luggage on her head at Tiruvannamalai railway station as a porter. On Friday, Kasturi, 20, returned home with a gold medal in powerlifting at the WPPL World Cup in Novosibirsk, Russia.
Kasturi deadlifted 75kg and squatted 55kg in the 48kg category last Sunday. "When about to lift the weight at the competition, I thought of my mother lifting those bags at the railway station. Suddenly, my weights felt lighter," said Kasturi. "My mother is my inspiration. She continues to work hard. I want to win more medais so she can stop carrying heavy luggage."
Kasturi said she didn't expect to win. "When I heard my name being announced, I felt light-headed because my only fuel that day was some chicken and water," she said. Her journey was tougher. Growing up in Cheyyar, a small town in Tiruvannamalai district, Kasturi played for her school football team as a striker, winning zonal titles. She continued playing the sport at Ethiraj College in Chennai, but became disillusioned after a national training camp in Puducherry. "I realised team sports drained me mentally. No matter how many goals I scored, I didn't feel seen or appreciated," she said.

Source: Time of India