This 5-year-old archer is breaking international records, one shot at a time

Cherukuri Dolly Shivani was in her mother’s womb when it was decided that she will be an archer. At a time when other kids her age were learning to speak and walk, she had a bow and an arrow in her hands and was taking her family legacy forward.

Dolly's father Satyanarayana, Chairman of the Volga Archer Academy, has coached a lot of international archers. Her late brother Cherukuri Lenin was an international archer and coach who passed away in a road accident in 2010 after the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Dolly was in her surrogate mother's womb when her father brought 30 tiny carbide recurve bows designed and made in Poland. Even before she turned three, Dolly started carrying her bow-stand on her own and warming up with much discipline; sometimes better than the senior archers. Talking about her to The Hindu, her father said,

When we came to know that the baby was on her way we decided to mould her as an archer. The preparation was on while she was in the womb itself. When Shivani was born on April 2, 2012, she arrived amidst the bows and arrows. Her 35-month journey so far has always been with archery. Literally, she speaks, dreams, eats archery and mingles with senior archers.

Two years back, she became the youngest Indian to score more than 200 points, and a few days back, five-year-old Dolly entered the India Book of Records and Asia Book of Records. According to The News Minute, her father said,

Today, we are very proud to see our kid making such grand advancements. We hope that by the grace of God, she will scale greater heights. She is now completely firm and professional, and listens to each and every suggestion, either from me or from her coach Chandrasekar, with full concentration.

At present, she is being prepared to represent India in the 2024 Olympics.

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