On March 14, Tejaswin Shankar was in Albuquerque for the NCAA Division-1 Indoor Tack and Field Championships. The event was cancelled because of COVID-19 and Tejaswin, along with his Kansas State University teammates, moved back.
That was the last time the 21-year-old stepped out of the city he’s called home for the past three years. The national high jump record-holder and Business Administration student has since been trying to keep himself fit and sane even as the pandemic took a serious turn in the United States.
‘Not too bad’
“It’s actually not too bad. The important thing is just trying to stay sane and preserve some semblance of normalcy,” Tejaswin told The Hindu from Kansas. “For most sportspersons, life revolves around a routine of training and working out, that’s how we even keep track of the schedules and days. Now, all days are practically Sundays!”
He admitted he was better off than many others. “Here, because it is a lot of farmland, things are easier. There have been no cases here so far. There are restrictions but I can move out. The training facilities at the university are closed but the high school grounds with tracks are accessible,” he explained. That might change soon, though. “I am expecting stricter restrictions from this week but physical training has been included in essential activities so going out for a run hopefully won’t be a problem,” he said.
Frustrating
He has been trying to improvise his workouts — using rock-filled sacks as barbells and running up and down stairs — but admitted the uncertainty was frustrating.
“Olympics dates have been announced for next year but what if this goes on till September or beyond? No one knows how things will be when it does get over. There is a serious lack of motivation to keep fit,” he added.
Tejaswin, though, knows better than worrying about things he has no control over. “People forever crib about wanting a break from routine but now that they have, most do not know what to do about it. Now it’s all about mental strength,” he signed off.
