Dipa Karmakar is a 22 year old from Tripura. When she talks about her home, she describes it as a place that is simple and relatively unknown. But instead of saying it with a sense of distaste she reminisces, almost nostalgic when speaks about her humble beginnings.
Later this year, Dipa is going to represent India in the Rio Olympics in women’s gymnastics.
So how did a 22 year old make her way to this historic stage? Maybe because she returned with a bronze from the Glasgow Commonwealth games and participated in the finals of the World Championship in 2015.
Oh, and she’s also one of the five people in the world who are able to perform the Produnova vault.
For those of you who don’t know what that is, the Produnova vault involves a front handspring into two frontal somersaults and it is the most difficult maneuver in women’s gymnastics.
If performed incorrectly it can cause a fatal injury to the spine. In spite of that, she risked it. She risked it till she was able to do it and THAT is what makes her Olympian material.
Listen to her talk about her journey in this video.