How did Mary Kom celebrate after becoming the first woman boxer to win six gold medals at the World Championships? Sitting on the ringside steps, huddled with coaches, she cried. And the more the crowd cheered, the more the tears flowed.
She is the only woman to become World Amateur Boxing champion for a record six times, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the seven world championships.
A 35 years old woman, a mother of 3, her life itself a lesson:
IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU COMING FROM, WHAT MATTERS IS WHERE YOU GOING
Born to parents who were landless agricultural labour in the state of Manipur in Northeast India, she becomes a legend defying every odd.
AGE IS JUST A NUMBER
Life is not a set of pre-defined rules; you have to write yours. At 35, mother of 3, she is power punches to dismantle any opponent in minutes.
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS
Her years of hard work, the refusal to give up, pushing every boundary there was. The thrill, the joy of winning, the successes. The Olympic bronze, the 2020 Olympic dream, the unstoppable spirit.
USE EVERY SITUATION TO BUILD YOUR DREAMS
A childhood of hard labour prepared her body for the sport just as well as any fitness training might have. Her own will and aggression carry her through the minefield of politics that any sport in India is. Nimble of foot and pulling no punches, the boxing ring was Mary’s dominion
Mary’s story is one of relentless struggle and unflagging passion for the sport of boxing.