Being a pioneer in any sport brings its own set of unique challenges. Just ask CA Bhavani Devi, who became the first Indian fencer in history to qualify for the Olympics. "Earlier, I used to travel alone for competitions and other athletes and coaches used to find it strange that I was the only one from India and travelling without a coach. I didn't feel that they had the same respect for me as the others but now everything has changed," she says.
All that is in the past now. "I feel a sense of respect from all the top athletes towards me now and when I qualified, a lot of athletes told me that I'm very strong and they are very happy that I made it to the Olympics," she says.
Bhavani, in fact, first picked up the sport as a matter of chance. "I didn't actually choose fencing. I just wanted to play a sport as I wanted to do something other than staying in class. There were five sports in my school that I could take part in, but by the time I went to enroll my name, fencing was the only sport which had a vacancy. The sport gave me a lot of happiness and that is why I continued playing it," she says.
Bhavani says that the learnings from her past failures have helped her to make the cut for Tokyo. "When I first started competing internationally, it was very difficult for me and my family to find a sponsor. I lost a lot of competitions and did not qualify for the Rio Olympics but those experiences have shaped my life and it was only after that I got a lot of support and could make a proper plan for Tokyo," she says.
Now the top fencer in the country by some distance, Bhavani's initial forays in the sport weren't as successful. "It all started in 2004, when I joined the sport for fun. In my very first competition, I lost early and didn't win a medal but all my teammates won a medal. That loss actually spurred me to work harder and that's how I started fencing as a career," she says.
"When I dreamt about competing in the Olympics, many people told me that you can not do anything in this sport. You are a woman and you should focus on getting a job or look at other options." Bhavani Devi
After taking up the sport professionally, Bhavani had her share of 'ups and downs'. Her mother had her own worries too. "My major concern was about her safety as all my friends and relatives were asking me why was I sending such a young girl alone to all these competitions. I used to pray to god to keep her safe," says CA Ramani, Bhavani's mother.
Even though she never doubted her decision, Bhavani is happy to prove her detractors wrong. "I made the right decision because fencing was not a popular sport back then. When I dreamt about competing in the Olympics, many people told me that you cannot do anything in this sport. You are a woman and you should focus on getting a job or look at other options. But I did not let that deter me as I had confidence in myself."
Bhavani's start in the sport was anything but straightforward but she fell in love with it early. "When I first started fencing, I was told that it's a very expensive sport and people from poor families can't play it. So I lied and increased my father's salary, so that's how I got to take it up. After that, I realised what the teacher meant as the equipment was really expensive.
"At the beginning, I used to play with a bamboo stick as I could not afford to break the sword as it was very expensive and I couldn't have bought it. So I only used it in competitions."
Bhavani says that playing a relatively less popular sport brings its own challenges. "If I win a medal, people would say it is very easy but if I didn't win a medal, they would criticise me."
Bhavani says it's not just about going to the Olympics for her. It's equally important for her to not have any regrets about not trying something after her career ends. It's what drove her preparation for the Olympics.
"I didn't know which competitions to participate in, so I just took part everywhere as I didn't want to miss out on anything. Even if I had an injury, I competed in tournaments. I know it's wrong but I had to make all those sacrifices to get my rankings up," she says.
With no other fencer in India being at the same level as her, Bhavani has had to live away from home for the better part of almost five years now. "In countries like Italy, they have been fencing for over 100 years. So for us to arrive at that level, we have to put in double efforts. I worked very hard. Sometimes I did three sessions, I even trained on Saturdays. It is because I've put double efforts that I'm here," she says.
Like she has done all her life, Bhavani doesn't plan on holding anything back when she travels to Tokyo for her maiden Games.
"For (the) Olympics, I just want to give my best performance. I don't want to set any limits for myself."