New Delhi: The girl, who more than a decade ago won her battle against the devastating Tsunami that hit the Andamans in 2004, is now embarking on another battle. And that is to beat all odds and win a medal at the Track Cycling World Cup at Manchester, November 10-12.
Much water has flown through the Ganga and Jamuna and Deborah Herold (she was nine years old then) who clung to a tree for four days to win her battle against Tsunami is now a 22-year-old cyclist who has won laurels as well as medals for India. In the recently-conducted Track Asian Cup cycling competition here, she finished with two silver medals. By the sheer dint of her performances, she qualified for the Manchester event. Accompanying her would be Aleena Reji and this is the first time that India will have two representatives competing in a World Cup.
But then does Deborah, who has always overcome the most difficult of odds, believe that she will be able to win a medal. She clarifies that she will try her best, but she has different goals also. “The Track World Cup is crucial for me because I want to qualify for the World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That is my first goal… in the process if medals happen then so be it. My sole desire is to establish India as a force in the world of cycling,” stated the girl from Andaman who hasn’t seen her parents for close to five years as she is based here and travelling to her native place would be ‘waste of time’.
Cycling Federation of India’s general secretary Onkar Singh is of the opinion that Deborah’s steely determination has always been her forte. “She is no doubt talented, but more than that it is her never-say-die attitude that has helped her blossom as one of the top cyclists in Asia. I am sure in the days to come, Deborah will certainly become a force to reckon with on the world platform,” Singh who has been quoted in a vernacular daily said.
Deborah has shown the stuff she is made of by beating Mother Nature. Now it remains to be seen whether she can beat the world.
Agencies