400 Meters of Life
The following is a page from the diary of Prerna Jindal, India’s leading athlete who had won several Olympic medals for the country by the age of 20. She faced her first loss ever in a 400 meters hurdle event on June 18, 2019 during the Apex International Sports meet. July 22, 2020 Dear Diary, Coach Naidu used to say “You win only when you believe that you can win.” I wish he was alive today to rebuild my belief in myself. I have lost everything I had: my will to win, my belief in myself and my happiness. When I was very young, Mummy used to say “There’s nothing in this world that you can do which can change my love for you. I love you, and I will always love you!” I still remember the time when I won my first athletics gold medal in school; mummy smiled at me and hugged me, but she didn’t say a single word of appreciation. After every medal that I won at the Asian Games, Olympics and the Apex Games, while the world applauded at me, mummy just held my hand and smiled wit