PhD, motherhood, Olympics — Seema juggles myriad dreams in partnership with husband

By any measure, Seema Kaliramna had a remarkable day in Dehradun on Saturday. Competing in her first National Games, the 24-year-old clinched a gold medal in the women’s discus throw. She also gathered valuable material for the thesis of her PhD, which explores the impact of mindset, goal-setting, and self-talk on athletic performance. On top of that, she was delighted to receive a stuffed toy of Monal, the Games mascot.

“It’ll be a great gift for my son. He’s just two and a half years old. The medal doesn’t mean as much to him as this stuffed toy,” she laughed.

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Despite her victory, Seema wasn’t entirely satisfied. “I didn’t come here just to win a gold medal; I also wanted the Games record. I’m disappointed that I couldn’t get my name in the record books,” she admitted. Her winning throw of 52.70m fell short of Harwant Kaur’s 2001 Games record of 55.45m.

Her coach, Ravinder, shared that disappointment but also had to balance it with his concern as her husband. “Unfortunately, Seema got her period in the morning. Competing in such a condition was really tough for her. Given the circumstances, she’s done really well, and I’m sure she’ll achieve more in the future,” he said.

Unique partnership

Seema seems to be juggling multiple ambitions at once, but she credits her husband for making it possible. Ravinder, who prefers to be known as Monu, was once a national champion at the junior and sub-junior levels in the discus throw. His own sporting dreams were cut short due to injury, but he has since dedicated himself to helping his wife achieve hers.

“I think we make a great team—like electrons and protons,” he said. “When she’s down, I push her; when I’m down, she motivates me.”

Their careers took an unexpected turn. Seema’s father, a former basketball player and javelin thrower in the Indian Army, introduced her to athletics and coached her at Bhiwani’s Bhim Stadium. She was a promising young athlete, winning medals at national youth and junior championships. However, despite representing India at the Youth Asian Championships, she did not have particularly high ambitions as a thrower.

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That changed when she met Ravinder. A star athlete at the same training centre, he had won gold medals in the discus throw at the Indian U-18 and U-20 championships. He also mentored younger athletes at the stadium.

Just as his career was about to take off, Ravinder suffered a severe throwing injury to his lower spine, which led to muscle instability and forced him to retire from competition. But an unexpected opportunity arose when Seema’s father proposed that he marry his daughter.

Seema, then only 20, was in favour of the match. “My father wanted me to marry him because he knew I wanted to be a sportsperson. In many households, daughters-in-law are not encouraged to continue in sports after marriage. But my father knew Monu wasn’t like that. He felt that if I wanted to achieve something, Monu would be the best person to help me get there,” she said.

Second career

The day after their wedding, the couple started training for their first competition together—the All India University Games. Although Seema didn’t perform well, she soon found success, winning gold at the inaugural Khelo India University Games in early 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to her progress, and things worsened when she suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery. Unable to train, she found herself at a crossroads—until Ravinder guided her towards a new goal.

“That was when he decided I needed to study. I always knew he would support me as a sportsperson, but he encouraged me even more in my studies. I was a good student in school, scoring 90% in my Class 12 exams, but after my Bachelor’s in Physical Education, I hadn’t thought about further studies. He convinced me to do my Master’s and then pushed me towards a PhD,” she said.

Ravinder, however, sees it differently. “I’m what people call a ‘gaon wala PhD’—someone who knows enough to coach but doesn’t have the formal qualifications. I wanted Seema to have a deeper understanding of her own body as an athlete. She’s much smarter than me, so I knew she could do it,” he said.

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While recovering from her injury and pursuing her studies, Seema and Ravinder decided to start a family. Even after their son, Rudra, was born in 2022, she remained committed to returning to competition.

“My in-laws are very supportive. When Rudra was 11 months old, they encouraged me to leave him with them and resume training,” she said.

After three years away from competition, Seema made a comeback, once again supported by her husband.

Switching roles

Although Ravinder had been coaching other athletes while Seema recovered, he is now her full-time coach. The switch between husband and coach is dramatic.

“On the field, he’s a really strict coach—he pushes me very hard. But once we’re off the field, he becomes a super caring husband. If things aren’t going well, he talks to me gently, and sometimes, if I’m feeling low, he buys me my favourite food,” she said.

Seema prefers this dynamic. “With another coach, if I didn’t push myself, they wouldn’t care as much. But Monu knows exactly how much I need to be pushed. He was a champion himself, so he understands what I have to do,” she said.

Even as Seema continues to improve as an athlete, Ravinder keeps raising the bar. Last year, she cleared the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) exam, which determines eligibility for research funding in India. Now, alongside her sporting career, she is pursuing a PhD in Physical Education at Chaudhary Bansi Lal University in Bhiwani.

Her ultimate dream, however, is much bigger. “My goal is to win an Olympic medal. It might seem crazy, especially since I’m balancing so many things, but this dream only took shape after I got married. I never imagined achieving so much before, but with my husband’s support, my goals keep getting bigger,” she said.