The daughter of daily wage earners broke all shackles and rose to great heights. A classic example of how, with sheer dedication and hard work, anything is possible.

She is the first woman athlete from Gujarat to win an Asian gold medal for India. Sarita Gayakwad is truly an inspiration, and her life story sure needs to be celebrated.

There were days when she ran barefoot because she didn't have money even to buy shoes. There were days when she lived in a thatched hut, when she couldn't even get her mother a pressure cooker. But she did not let any of that deter her from her goal. She fought every obstacle to emerge triumphant. In this Sarita Gayakwad biography you will get to know everything about her.

Sarita Gayakwad Biography

Early Life

Sarita’s proud parents | Credits: DNA India

Sarita Gayakwad was born and brought up in a tribal village of Kharadi Amba in the Dang district. Her tryst with sports began in her childhood itself. In an interview, Sarita revealed how she would get inspired by watching the likes of Sania Mirzaand others on the DD sports channel at her uncle’s place. “I wanted to be like them; I wanted to wear India’s T-shirt and make my country proud,” she said.

However, her family faced a lot of financial problems, and it wasn't easy for them to sponsor sports equipment for Sarita. For many years, they stayed in a thatched hut.

Initially, Sarita played kho kho as well and represented the Gujarat state women 17 times in national-level competitions. After initial success in track and field as well as kho kho, she had to choose to give her utmost focus to one game.

Judges selected her for a talent hunt program in 2012, which gave her career a big boost. There she first won the 400 m running and 4×400 m relay.

Sarita was first noticed by athletics coach KS Ajimon. He saw a spark in her and wanted to ensure that she got the best training to hone her skills. Sarita started training at Nadiad’s Center of Excellence. Her coaches at Nadiad and Patiala played a huge role at the beginning of her career.

"I was very impressed when I first saw her in June 2015. “She covered 400 m in about one minute, and I knew she was made for bigger things," Ajimon was quoted by Asian Age.

Sarita Gayakwad at the Commonwealth Games 2018

She established herself as an athlete with superb potential by winning a bronze medal in 2014-2015, a silver medal in 2015-2016, and a gold medal in 2016-2017 in the Inter-University National level athletics tournament.

After that, she was included in the Indian training camp at Patiala. She represented India at the Asian Championship in 2017. She also won 2 gold medals at the Asian Games trials.

All this meant that Sarita Gayakwad was in great shape to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. And qualify she did! Sarita became the first track and field athlete from Gujarat to qualify for the Commonwealth Games. However, she couldn’t turn her qualification into a medal, finishing seventh in the final. But the disappointment did set the stage for bigger things.

Asian Games 2018

Credits: New Indian Express

Sarita Gayakwad turned the failure at the 2018 Commonwealth Games into her strength and put on a great performance at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.

Sarita, along with her teammates - MR Poovamma, Hima Das, and VK Vismaya, won the gold medal with a timing of 3:28.72.

Sarita's Asian Games gold medal was celebrated with a lot of grandeur in her Karadi Amba village. Along with her own home, the entire village seemed to be celebrating a big festival. People distributed sweets and burst firecrackers. Traditional Dangi dance was performed by the village troupe.

“We are very happy and proud that Sarita has won the gold medal. “The whole country is celebrating her success,” Sarita's father, Laxmanbhai, told DNA India.

Unknown Facts about Sarita Gayakwad

• In the district-level competition, Khel Mahakumbh, she won a total prize money of ₹ 25,000. It was one of the most ecstatic moments of her life. She realized her true potential as an athlete then.
• Sarita has seen extreme poverty. So much so that her first motivation to take up a career in sports was collecting enough money to buy a pressure cooker for her mother.
• After winning the Asiad gold, Sarita received a lot of love and financial support from various governmental and other organizations. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced a cash prize of ₹ 1 crore.
• Her alma mater, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, also declared a cash prize of 2 lakh rupees.
• They appointed Sarita as the brand ambassador of Gujarat State Poshan Abhiyan.
• Along with her thriving career as an athlete, Sarita is working as an income tax official as well.

Achievements

Asian Games

Asian Championships

The youngster is all set to have a dream career as an athlete. There's no doubt about her talent as well as her hard work. She has risen from the clutches of poverty and uplifted her family with her success. Truly an inspiration for everyone, we wish Sarita all the very best for her career.

Conclusion

Sarita Gayakwad’s journey is about more than just becoming a great athlete; it's a tale of bravery, sacrifice, and relentless determination. Growing up in a tribal family in the remote Dang district of Gujarat, she faced extreme poverty and hardship from a young age. These challenges became the building blocks of her resilience. Running barefoot and lacking even necessities, Sarita held on to big dreams in a world that didn't offer much.

What stands out in Sarita's story is not just her athletic achievements, but how she remained focused and humble throughout her journey. Her drive to support her mother, represent her country, and bring pride to her village motivated her, even when resources were thin. Her experience shows that talent can emerge from the most surprising places, needing only a little recognition and support to flourish.

In a place where quality sports training is often a privilege reserved for those who can afford it, Sarita's journey highlights the talent that exists in rural and tribal India. Beyond her athletic skills, her role as a brand ambassador for Gujarat's Poshan Abhiyan and as an income tax official shows that she is talented in many areas.

As Sarita continues to move forward, she symbolizes the hopes of many, not just for more medals but for more stories like hers. She represents countless girls who rise above challenges and inspire future generations. Her legacy will be more than just statistics in the record books; it will live on in the hearts of everyone she motivates.

FAQs

Sarita Gayakwad is an Indian track and field athlete from Gujarat, best known for being part of the Indian women's 4x400m relay team that won gold at the 2018 Asian Games. She is the first woman athlete from Gujarat to achieve this feat.

Sarita hails from the tribal village of Kharadi Amba in the Dang district of Gujarat, India.

Sarita was inspired by watching Indian sportswomen like Sania Mirza on television. Her early motivation also came from the desire to uplift her family from poverty. Initially, she even hoped to earn enough to buy her mother a pressure cooker.

Before focusing on athletics, Sarita played kho kho and represented Gujarat in national-level tournaments 17 times.

Yes, she qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first track and field athlete from Gujarat to do so. However, she finished seventh in the finals and did not win a medal.