‘I didn’t want a DNF against my name’

Heptathlete Shobha recounts her gritty display the Athens Games.

The Olympics is not all about winning medals! In the birthplace of the Modern Games, Athens, J.J. Shobha came up with a performance which still stands out as one of the most memorable performances by an Indian — not for winning a medal — but for completing her heptathlon events despite a ligament tear before the final segment (800m). For the 43-year-old Shobha, the 2004 Games is a personal high too because of the amazing spirit she displayed in the face of serious injury for which she received a standing ovation from the crowd for her grit and determination.