Aswathi's feat: A routine day at home

Posted on: 31 Oct 2012

Lucknow: Thiruvambadi: The day started as usual in the house of C L Aswathi who bagged gold at the national junior meet with a national record. Her father Lakhsmanan, who is visually impaired, spent the day by immersing himself in prayers and her mother Usha went for her daily work. The couple even does not know about the significance of the medal which their daughter won. Though Lakshmanan wishes to send his daughter for good training, he doesn't have any clue how he could achieve that. During their acute poverty days they sustained with the help from St Joseph's Church, Pullloranpara. With their close association with church, they accepted Christianity. Her bother Anoop is a ninth standard student.

C L Aswathi, poor girl from Pulluranpara, Wayanad, created a national record for Kerala in the 28th Junior national athletics championship, fighting against poverty. She won the first position in the 2000 meters under 20 girls category with the strength she gained from three slices of bread and a glass of water in the morning. Though there were eggs and milk for athletes in the Lucknow mess, she was not used to eating such things.

Aswathi lives in acute poverty and her father is visually impaired after he met with an accident when Aswathi was 9 months old. Her mother is a daily wage worker. Her father Lakshmanan, 45, is not fortunate enough to see his daughter's achievement. 'Father had called me and is very happy for me,' she said.

Aswathi is a Plus two student at St Josephs HSS Pulluranpara. It was for the first that she attended a national meet and bagged a medal.

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