Inspiring Video of Young Weightlifter Chasing Olympic Dream Takes The Internet by Storm

Adults often convey their weightlifting milestones with a sense of pride. For most, even lifting a 10 kg dumbbell at the gym is an achievement. In that trot, a young toddler’s weightlifting strength has put the adults to shame and earned her a venerable moniker.

Recently, NBC, the official media partner of the 2024 Paris Olympics reshared a video of Sathish Sivalingam’s daughter to bestow upon her an incredible honor. For the uninitiated, Sathish Sivalingam is an Indian Olympian and a weightlifting record holder. However, his proudest moment came in 2021 when his daughter mimicked Mirabai Chanu’s silver-medal winning stance at the Tokyo Games. Now, NBC Olympics and Paralympics has reminded the world of the moment and granted the little champion a new title.

NBC Olympics and Paralympics makes toddler the cynosure of all eyes

NBC Olympics and Paralympics tweeted the video of the bright young weightlifter on their X page. The captions held the admiration for the girl, and the video credits to Sathish Sivalingam. They bestowed the “Future Olympian” in the captions upon the prodigy. The heart-melting video captured the girl trying to imitate Mirabai Chanu’s silver medal lift at the 2021 Summer Olympics. The video was recorded in the Sivalingam residence when the country was in lockdown. The proud father was surprised at her daughter’s ingenuity and determination. He was watching Chanu’s historic performance on the television when his daughter blocked the screen and picked up the weight in complete Mirabai Chanu fashion.

Interestingly, she even went further to celebrate the silver medal in the same way Chanu did at the Olympic podium. The Olympian is a “true inspiration” to millions of young athletes in the subcontinent, just like the little girl in the video. Chanu gushed over the video and wrote, “So cute. Just love this” on her social media account. Now, the 49 kg silver medalist is training in the U.S. for another chance at an Olympic medal, but her chances seem slim.

Mirabai Chanu against all odds

Mirabai Chanu now trains at St. Louis under the watchful eyes of her coach, Vijay Sharma. The weightlifter had to move continents to seek the guidance of physical therapist Dr. Aaron Horschig. This was necessary considering the level of her injuries that made her Olympics campaign nigh impossible.

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In an Indian Express interview, Chanu spoke about her struggles, saying, “It’s been tough…But we are constantly on the lookout for ways to cure this”. She looks at this as a professional hazard and believes her proactive steps are enough to win her another shot at the Olympics. No doubt, she is an inspiration to millions of young kids dreaming of Olympic glory.

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