Battling period cramps, competing on an empty stomach
Battling period cramps, competing on an empty stomach: Painful cramps, an empty stomach, a sprained knee, flashbacks to a previous concussion, a confused rival, and, in the end, a bronze medal.
Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian woman to win a medal at the World Championships, laughs hysterically as she recalls the past few days’ events.
The Olympic nightmare ended a year ago, and she’s now happy. “I don’t know if I’m lucky to have the repechage chance, or an unlucky person to get my periods just before the competition while I was cutting weight (few food and water),” she wonders.
Her period started when she was in transit in Dubai en route to Belgrade for the Worlds, marking the beginning of the bizarre series of occurrences (also known as “taqleef waale circumstances”).
Statements
She laughs, hoping that female athletes didn’t have to deal with the threat of menstruation, “Kabhi kabhi lagtaa hai, ladka hoti toh achha hota.” She explains, “For the first time, I took period-stopping medications, but it happened in Dubai, and I felt all my hard work over the past 10 months is gone.”
As if being weak and having period stomach cramps weren’t bad enough, she was also trying to reduce weight by dehydrating, starving herself, and engaging in intense exercise in order to lose kilograms, all of which hindered her recuperation in time for her first match, which she lost 0-7.
I laid it all out there and didn’t hold back, but there are times when the body won’t cooperate.
Each and every female athlete experiences this at some point. Some people forget to bring it up, but others manage to keep on. Without exception, Vinesh remained silent. Vinesh made it, too.
It occurred in 2019 at a championship event in Asia. I was competing at the time, and I hurt myself twice.
Okay, that’s more worry about getting hurt. According to studies, menstruation is associated with an increase in bone fragility and a higher risk of fractures. That kind of dread was not something that could be treated. She reflects, “I couldn’t recover in time; I was exhausted and hopeless.”
If you lose in the repechage, you have to really, really pray that your opponent doesn’t move on. But as Vinesh looked on, the Mongolian Khulan Batkhuyag were falling behind, 0-6. Then, things started looking up.
As she recalls how she continued saying out loud that the Mongolian would result in a fall, and then it happened in that instant, she says, “Main toh lucky nikli (I got lucky)”.
Perhaps God felt sorry for me and rewarded me for my efforts. And misfortunes that have already occurred.
After a year of working hard to overcome physical obstacles, her attitude before her match against Kazakh Zhuldyz Eshimova, whom she had lost to earlier in 2016, had shifted from pessimism to optimism.
She felt her body pleading for rest following weight reduction and her periods, but she was energized by a competitive hunger that put her in “beast mode” for the bronze playoff.
As opposed to her performance against the Mongolian, whom she had never seen play before, she was able to maintain her focus thanks to a solid understanding of the Kazakh’s game.
Vinesh seemed to be anticipating a misstep. She responds, half-jokingly, half-in-fear, “I knew the body would hit back.” As a result, Emma Malmgren became the victim.
She heard her knee snap right in the middle of her first throw against the Swedish opponent. According to Vinesh, the audible cracking frightened Malmgren more than it did her.
I think she became more frightened upon hearing that, and I found her off-kilter after that. But by that time, I was sufficiently warmed up to continue accruing points.
The final score was an 8-0 triumph, giving us the bronze medal. Knee swelling for 2–3 days, then 1–2 months of recovery time. “Starting over,” she says wryly.
The recovery from elbow surgery after the Olympics will be a piece of cake by comparison. I was so worried about everything else going on that it hardly registered when they operated on my elbow.
Immediately following the Rio Olympics, I had to undergo a rather unpleasant operation.
She said, “I remember the Gandaa operation, and it was a horrific time. This time, I was too preoccupied with other concerns to worry about (kaat do, maar do, kuchh boora ni lagaa). Interruption: slash her open and stitch her back up. Just a shrug of the elbow for all that.
Managing neurologic symptoms
She was battling concussion issues, which caused her to frequently black out during matches, so the elbow didn’t bother her.
While X-rays are useful for measuring bone density, muscle swelling is visible to the naked eye. Yet, “how do you explain feeling disoriented and blacking out when there is no visible wound?” she asks. She couldn’t shake the dread of what might happen at the Tokyo Olympics.
The issue was finally diagnosed after she met with five different neurosurgeons in India, spoke with several rugby concussion experts in Australia and South Africa, and followed the doctor’s calm treatment plan.
“I owe it to my team and all the physicians who attempted to help me that the situation didn’t happen at CWG or the World Championships. She says, “I was afraid it might happen to me again.”
She’s been taking the prescribed prescription for a year now after seeking advice from a physician via her mentor. He oversaw every scan and procedure. “We usually talked on Zoom chats,” she recalls, entering the situation warily. She says the incident didn’t happen again and made her happier than the medal. The most covert of her efforts to avoid another concussion has been her efforts to flex her neck muscles.
To the tea and temples now
After having knee surgery, Vinesh is eager to find sparring and training abroad before the 2023 Asian Games. To become better, “I’ve started feeling the desire to spar with higher level wrestlers,” she says.
She plans to visit five different temples, something she’s been wanting to do for quite some time. Beginning with Kedarnath and Badrinath. I’m not particularly excited, and I’m not sure how to throw a party. After that, I’ll get back into training—I just can’t afford to lose all my hard work!
Following the award, though, she plans to enjoy the more mundane aspects of life, like eating. A very tight diet was followed over the past month. I haven’t eaten properly since before the Commonwealth Games.
Tea seemed like sin because everyone at home knew I needed to exercise self-control. This time I informed my mom that I was looking forward to coming home and enjoying a properly prepared cup of chai.
I’m going to drink chai without feeling bad about it for a while. And laugh at the fifty shades of good fortune (and bad) that are constantly thrown her way.
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