From Beating P.T Usha to Building Future Champions | Ashwini Nachappa on Identity, Woman & Courage

 “I don’t think one should play safe at all. Stand up for yourself and dare to be different,” says Ashwini Nachappa - Olympian, Arjuna Awardee, and a trailblazer on the national sprint circuit.

But before the world knew her as ‘India’s Flo-Jo,’ the victories and the Olympic track there was a young girl growing up in Karnataka backed by a mother who never allowed society’s scrutiny to define her daughter’s choices.

In this episode of UpClose: Road to #SheSparks, we sit down with Ashwini Nachappa to unpack what it means to compete fiercely, think independently, and build a life beyond the finish line.

From sprinting on the global stage to shaping the next generation through Karaumbiah’s Academy for Learning and Sports (KALS), this is a journey about the power of visualisation, courage, and daring to be unapologetically yourself.

Because as she puts it, when women stop trying to fit into expectations and start embracing who they truly are, unique windows of opportunity begin to open.

We talk about:

• Discovering speed in a time when athletics had limited infrastructure, visibility, & support

• The mindset shift that helped her compete setting internal targets instead of chasing rivals

• How visualisation and meditation transformed her approach to competition and life

• What it meant to represent India at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

• Competing against and even defeating legends like P.T. Usha

• Navigating fame, scrutiny, and labels as a young woman athlete in the spotlight

• Why girls are often conditioned to “play safe” and why that must change

• The importance of being comfortable in your own skin and speaking up for yourself

• Building institutions like KALS to integrate education with elite sport

• The role of ethics, integrity, and clean sport in building true champions

If you’ve ever been told to stay within limits, choose the safer path, or shrink your ambition - this conversation is a powerful reminder that the real race is often against your own fears.

#SheSparks #SheSparks2026 #UpClose #AshwiniNachappa #WomenInSport #DareToBeDifferent #WomenChangemakers #WomenLeadership #BreakingBarriers