Reetika Hooda was about 15 years old when she saw Sakshi Malik, her senior at the Sir Chotu Ram Stadium Wrestling Centre in Rohtak, win her Olympic medal at Rio 2016. That's when she realised the importance of the Olympics - and that's when it became her mission.
"There was a big welcome for [Sakshi] at the stadium, and seeing that I began to wonder when I would reach there, when would it be my time?", Reetika told ESPN.
Reetika's time has arrived, and how. At 22, she's become the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the heavyweight (76kg) category, the highest for women.
It follows her becoming Under-23 world champion last October, which in turn raises hopes of a good show in Paris - perhaps even a repeat of Sakshi's feat.
Becoming a wrestler, or even a heavyweight wrestler - rare in Indian women's sport - wasn't a choice Reetika made consciously; it was more a path that her natural strength and aggression opened up for her, aided by her father and then her first coach.
Well-built and strong from a young age, she started in the 68 kg but was not able to maintain that level. She even briefly competed in the 72kg (not an Olympic category) but then had to make a call to go for an even higher weight to be able to make it to Paris 2024.
Coach Mandeep Singh, who has also worked with Sakshi at Sir Chotu Ram Stadium, says it was because of her innate strength.
"Reetika was healthy from the start and had good strength. We tried different categories but 68 didn't work and we had to pick an Olympic category so then we tried 76 kg," Mandeep explains. "She has natural strength and good technique as well for this category."
Mandeep first met Reetika, when her father brought her to the academy in Rohtak, Haryana - a nerve centre for women's wrestling. She used to play handball in school and didn't know much about wrestling till her father pushed her to take it up. "My great grandfather was a pehelwan and my maternal uncles used to compete in dangals in the village akhadas ... but I didn't know much about wrestling then."
His motivation, funnily, was likely to reduce the fights at home with her elder brother Rohit. "He suggested wrestling because I used to fight a lot with my brother, apna gussa uspe utarti thi, use peet ti thi (I used to take my anger out on him by beating him up)," Reetika recounts with a laugh. "My father said that gussewali hain, wrestling main hii theek hain (she is aggressive, she will be fine in wrestling.)"
"I didn't think I would be at this stage so soon, competing at the Olympics," she says.
"In 76kg the most difficult part is speed... Reetika moves a bit quicker on the mat, if she starts attacking, she's doing it quickly."
Her progress has been rapid: In nine years since she started training, she has been the first in her weight category to win an Olympic quota and the U23 world title. She also has bronze medals at the senior Asian Championships and the Under-20 World Championships (in 72kg).
But the gold medal in October was a turning point after a tough 2023 when she was changing weight categories, had fitness issues and lost the trials for both Asian Games and World Championship. "The feeling of winning after losing a few bouts is completely different... The U23 world title was the medal that changed my luck."
Earlier this month, she won silver (via Nordic system) at the Hungary Ranking Series in Budapest, beating a field that had a former world champion and a two-time African champion, despite being unwell.
In short, Reetika is in good touch heading into Paris 2024. And her team is working hard to turn that good into great.
Competing in the heavier weight categories requires not only a certain level of power, but also fitness for stability and smart footwork for attacks.
"In 76kg the most difficult part is speed; they have a lot of power on the mat, but they don't have speed compared to other categories," explains Shruti Gharat, the physio from Reliance Foundation who looks after Reetika's training.
The speed aspect became even more important when she increased her weight from 72kg last year. "Our focus is on speed, her strength is a non-negotiable component but while looking after that we also want to make her fast on the mat because this is rare in her category. Reetika moves a bit quicker on the mat, if she starts attacking, she's doing it quickly," Shruti adds.
Reetika, on her part, followed her support staff's instructions to the letter and has built up the muscle mass needed to maintain her level. She is leaving no stone - or in her case, food group - unturned to be at her best on Olympic debut.
"Eggs are okay, I like them but not chicken. They say that medal laana hain to khaana padega, toh main khaa rahi hoon [you have to eat it if you want to win a medal, so I eat it]." Reetika Hooda
Weight training is something she enjoys and the gym is a place she long wanted to spend time at, even before she was a pro athlete. She does all the hard work required without complaint... well except one: eating chicken every day.
"My diet changes every month and there are things that I don't like which are included in the diet. I don't like dates much and I have to eat a lot of chicken too for protein," she says in a tone that is a reminder that Reetika is still a youngster while being an elite athlete.
While most wrestlers struggle with weight cuts right before competition, but Shruti says her wrestler has the opposite issue. "She drops her weight very quickly, especially when she goes out on tour. She can't eat a lot of outside food and is very desi, she needs her roti and home-cooked food. So, we, her mother and nutritionist have devised a plan to make sure that we are sending her with loads of food."
For the Olympics, her family and team will gladly carry all the desi food she wants because they know that when Reetika is in a good head space, very little can stop her. She is very driven and is able to do whatever she says she can do.
"My coach says 'beta tu jis cheez pe focus kar leti hain, who aaram se kar leti hain.' [Whatever you focus on, you do it easily.] Gharwaale bhi kehte hain jo keh ke jaati hain, who karke aati hain, so nahi bola who nahi karti." [My family also say that when I say I will do something, I do it.]
With a month to go for Paris Olympics, all she is talking about is the medal. She watches her idol Sakshi's bouts, interviews, and the Olympic medal ceremony to manifest that dream. She talks with her psychologist daily and is constantly telling herself to "continue what you are doing, work hard and you will win that medal." She even asks this writer to wish for it.
An Olympic medal is never a guarantee. But if practice and preparation indeed makes perfect, then Reetika is very close to it.