India’s shot put racer Krishna Jayasankar recently opened about her journey in the sport starting from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to representing her nation on the global platform. The athlete also talked about her struggle with body shape and how she emerged through to become a national record holder. She registered her best-ever throw surpassing the 17m mark in the women’s shot put event held at the Mountain West Indoor Championships in March 2026.
Coming from a sports background, Jayasankar is the daughter of former Indian basketball team captains. Her journey in the sport had quite a strange start. During her time in school she was picked by her physical education teacher to participate in throwing events. She was a perfect fit for the event who was tall and strong.
Jayasankar never grew fond of the basketball sport. Her parents even gave her the independence to pursue athletics. It was in 2019 when she met coach Michael Vassell and shared her dream to represent India and bring medals, her main goal was shot put but her coach changed her direction to go for discus throw.
Jayasankar feels her coach had played an instrumental role in her career. He was the one who gave her the idea to compete in the NCAA. However, after COVID came she had to return back to Jamaica to her family. During that time she would practice shot put throw in the parking area of our house as she wanted to participate in the 2021 World Under-20 team.
Jayasankar revealed of struggling with body shaming during her time in India. She was constantly compared to her elder sister Archana who had a fit physique while she did not fit into the Indian society norms.
She said, “When I was in India, I was body shamed in school and everywhere else because I did not fit the realm of what an Indian woman looked like. Before going to Jamaica, I was going through an identity crisis because I had nobody to look up to and nobody to talk to who would understand. My sister is a model with a very lean physique. I remember watching my sister take pictures for her portfolio. She looked so beautiful in a gown and makeup.”
Having found her courage back she went to IS managing life as a student and an athlete. It was in 2021 when NCAA Championships started with the regional meet. She made attempts of 55.61 meters which was her personal best and the school’s new record after going past the 55-meter barrier. She had also competed in the Hayward Field in Eugene.
Reflecting back to her journey, Jayasankar feels emotional of the growth she underwent and is enroute to becoming a professional athlete where she will represent India.
“It’s emotional knowing that this phase of my life is coming to an end, but I’m also proud of what I’ve achieved. Being away from my family and my country wasn’t easy, but it helped me build my own community and identity as an athlete. Now my focus is on becoming a professional athlete and representing Team India,” she mentioned.
