Fall seven times and get up eight!!! 🏃♂️💨
My skating journey has been nothing short of a lesson in persistence.
I, Abhishek, started skating at the age of 7, purely as a hobby. Back then, I never imagined that this sport would shape my life, my career, and my purpose in the sports industry.
At the age of 13, I began competing as a professional skater. The beginning wasn’t easy. Wins didn’t come early, and defeats became my first teachers. Those losses made me realise that if I truly wanted to reach a milestone, I had to think beyond participation. That mindset shift became a turning point in my journey.
With a focus on performing better in every competition than the last, I trained harder and pushed my limits further than I ever thought possible. Gradually, the effort began to show. I went on to win multiple competitions, including at the state and national levels. 🥇🏆
However, in 2019, a downfall arrived due to Covid that changed everything for athletes across the world. Some walked away, some struggled, some found new paths. I, too, couldn't continue as a competitive skater anymore. Yet I wanted to stay connected to the sport that gave me everything.
That’s when I found a new purpose. 💡 I opened my own skating academy 🏫 and also began coaching young skaters in schools who aspired to become professional skaters. Through this phase, I realized that sports is not just about performance; it’s also about managing people, building systems, and sustaining growth.
To strengthen my understanding of the business of sports, I joined IISM and pursued a Master of Sports Management. 🎓 It helped me gain clarity in areas like communication, leadership, operations, venue and team management, and marketing.
But beyond all achievements, what matters most to me is my students - their ups and downs, their tears and smiles, their failures and comebacks. 🤝 Watching them fall, stand up again, wipe their tears, and skate forward reminds me of why I started. 🥹
Because in sports and in life, the real victory is never giving up and choosing to rise, every single time. 🙌