Written by Divija Vaish, a grade 11 student

Anju Bobby George, the only Indian to have won a medal at a World athletics meet, revealed in a shocking tweet (on a platform called Twitter) that she competed throughout her career with a single kidney!

Earlier this month she tweeted, “Believe it or not, I’m one of the fortunate, among very few who reached the world top with a single KIDNEY, allergic with even a painkiller, with a dead takeoff leg. Many limitations. still made it. Can we call, the magic of a coach or his talent.”

At the Paris World Championship in 2003, Anju made history by winning a bronze in the long-jump event. She revealed that all this happened despite her kidney being removed just twenty days before the event. “It was shocking news for me. But Bobby (husband) motivated me to continue my career and achieve success. He even offered his kidney if I face any problem”, she said. The Olympian said that she kept this fact a secret for so long because earlier, she was “ashamed” and “afraid” about revealing it, but now she is confident that she could inspire others by telling them about her achievements despite her battles. She thanked her husband and coach, Robert Bobby George, for supporting her and gave him credit for success.

Anju, now retired, also won bronze in the 2002 Commonwealth Games (Manchester), silver in the 2006 Asian Games (Doha) and 2007 Asian Championships (Amman), and gold in the 2005 World Athletics Finals (Monte Carlo), 2002 Asian Games (Doha) and 2005 Asian Championships (Incheon). Her achievements are exceptional even for a person with both kidneys, but the fact that she accomplished such feats with a single kidney is truly remarkable. Anju Bobby George continues to remain a great source of inspiration to all aspiring athletes, especially young women, and goes on to prove that the sky truly is the limit.

Header image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:15Anju-Bobby-George1_(cropped).jpg

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