There is a buzz at P Subrajaa’s house at Salem as the clock strikes four in the evening. It is when she gets ready for her aerobics session. “My mother, P Parvathi trains me and she is very particular about me being punctual. I will not miss my practice for anything in this world,” says the 17-year-old. Subrajaa has recently won a silver for sports aerobics at the Open International Sports Aerobics and Fitness, Hip-Hop Championship held at Moscow, Russia. She is a Ist year B A Economics student at PSGR Krishnammal College For Women. “I was the only participant from Tamil Nadu. It was a tough competition,” she says.
Subrajaa started training for aerobics and gymnastics as a child. “My mother was a national level gymnast when she was in school. She couldn’t pursue sports due to family responsibilities. It is her dream that I become a successful player. I was four when she first taught me exercises for flexibility. It is a key factor for both gymnastics and aerobics.”
Subrajaa was in class VI when she started to participate in competitions. Her first championship was at the Government Divisional Meet held at Dharmapuri in 2007. “ I remember I was excited and a bit nervous before the event. But I won three medals for the Floor Exercise, Balance Bar and Uneven Bar,” she says.
Subrajaa practises on the terrace of her home. “I have made a makeshift court using mattresses. It is important to have a soft floor as I cannot afford any injuries. In Coimbatore for my studies now, I train at my college in the afternoon. I make sure I come home every weekend as I feel confident when my mother oversees my training.”
Prior to the competition at Moscow, she attended a national camp at Delhi for three days in October. “It was tough but I picked up a few new techniques there.” While her first two rounds of the championship were easy, it got progressively more difficult. “There were 25 participants and all of them performed well,” she says. Subrajaa found the harsh cold of Moscow coming in the way of her giving her best.
Fitness, flexibility, energy levels, grace and posture are the most important for aerobics and gymnastics. “It takes years of practice to be good at all these. I run for 30 minutes and play basketball everyday to improve my endurance,” she says. She now prepares for the Indian National Sports Aerobics, Fitness and Hip Hop Championship 2019 at Hyderabad. “But my dreams are big. I want to win a medal in Olympics,” she smiles.
