A typical day in Smitha RS' life begins with rushing to college much before sunrise, not to attend extra classes — as the case might usually be for regular students — but to attend boxing training. And soon after these high-adrenaline and physically and mentally gruelling sessions, she goes straight to class, making sure that she's not late for even a single lecture. It probably sounds like something out of a motivational sports movie where the lead character has been dedicated to the sport since childhood. But that's not the case here.
It was when she was pursuing her second year of college at PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, in the year 2018 that she decided to engage in some sport as she felt her life was becoming too monotonous and that she'd packed on a little extra weight too. Checking the list of sports her college offers, she found boxing to be the most interesting. She was curious to explore the sport and, upon discovering that there were no women kickboxers in her college, took it up as a challenge. "Seeing my curiosity for the sport, my college's boxing team gave me a chance. As I was new to the field, my only idea about the sport was that I had to knock my opponent down and I knew I could do that. I subsequently qualified to participate straight in an inter-college tournament. I started boxing training five days before my tournament,” she chuckles.
Observing Smitha's passion for boxing, her trainers made sure to motivate her every day as they believed that she could soar high. But she did not get the same support from her family at first. “They were worried in the beginning as they thought that it would influence my behaviour. But I was confident that what I was doing was for my own good,” says the 21-year-old. But being a soft-spoken girl at school, she felt terrible about hitting people. “I felt sorry when I hit someone in the ring but I realised that it’s all part of the game — if you don’t knock them down, you will get knocked down,” she laughs.
Saying no to junk food, following a strict diet, working out regularly and, most importantly, being consistent is her only mantra for success. “There are no shortcuts to achieving success in sports. You will reap what you sow. It is important to be happy doing what you like,” says the recent BA English Literature graduate and adds, “If you work out, it reflects on your body and mind. You don't need anyone to approve of your hard work. It becomes evident.”
Apart from boxing, Smitha, who has won numerous inter-university tournaments, is also interested in powerlifting, acting and pretty much anything creative. Talking about her future plans, she says that she would like to balance her career in the subject of her graduation and boxing, equally. "Boxing helps me to remain fit, physically and mentally," she concludes with a smile.
