TN bike owner Sreenath Lakshmikanth, silver medallist on the 37th Nationwide Video games, says his exhausting work has paid off

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Bike owner Sreenath Lakshmikanth’s journey to the 2 silver medals on the not too long ago concluded 37th Nationwide Video games, Goa, began out of necessity. It began when he started biking to and from college, TD Faculty at Thuravoor, Cherthala, in Kerala’s Alappuzha district. He cycled near 10 kilometres a method, as he couldn’t afford the bus fare. As we speak, moreover representing Tamil Nadu at Nationwide biking occasions, he runs a biking academy, SL7 Excessive Altitude Coaching Centre in Ooty.  

“I’m glad with the outcome at this yr’s Nationwide Video games. All my exhausting work has paid off,” says the 27 yr previous over the telephone from Ooty. He received the medals within the Highway Race (120 kilometres) and Particular person Time Trial (41 kilometres) classes; final yr he received a bronze within the Mass Begin class. Preparation for the large races has been all about working exhausting, “I moved to Palakkad quickly earlier than this yr’s Nationwide Video games with the intention to get acclimatised to the warmth to be well-prepared for Goa,” he says.  

He confesses he didn’t begin out eager to be a bike owner, “I used to be extra inquisitive about extremely endurance working, nonetheless I bought into biking in competitions whereas I used to be on the Maharaja’s School, Kochi.” He acknowledges the assist from Kochi-based Cochin Bikers Membership, and The Bike Retailer for his or her assist when he began out within the sport. 

Sreenath at Scotland for the UK Gran Fondo
| Photograph Credit score:
Milan Josy

Confidence increase

Competing at inter-collegiate and college degree occasions and successful medals had been a lift to his confidence. Following his efficiency on the 2014 State sport’s meet, he was picked for the Kerala crew.

Bike owner Milan Josy, his senior on the Kerala crew, confirmed him the ropes of coaching for competitions. The following yr, in 2015,he received a bronze medal at a State-level competitors, which strengthened his resolve to focus extra on street biking and practice accordingly. His exhausting work paid off and in 2017, he received a gold on the State meet. The primary actual breakthrough for Sreenath got here when he joined Cicolo Workforce Racing, gaining Naveen John (the present Highway Biking ITT gold medallist on the Goa Video games) as mentor and transferring to Bengaluru.

On the UK Gran Fondo

Sreenath participated within the UK’s Gran Fondo Biking occasion for novice cyclists held in Scotland in December. A Gran Fondo is a long-distance race with a distance of greater than 120 kilometres. The UK Gran Fondo was 160 kilometres. He spent two months there in preparation, with the intention to get acclimatised. “It’s a robust occasion, because the racing normal is excessive.” He was among the many 140 of the 300 contributors who accomplished the race; he completed at 30 among the many 70 contributors in one other occasion there. He calls his efficiency one in all his finest achievements. Sreenath additionally bought a training certificates (street biking) from British Biking.

“That was the turning level for me as a bike owner. Not solely did they practice me, however I additionally bought a chance to coach in Belgium for a month, and the following yr, in 2019, for 2 months. The coaching type was totally different, it was extra technology-based which monitored your coronary heart fee and velocity; it examined the flexibility of an athlete to carry out and get an concept of what endurance is,” says Sreenath. Again house, he understood the work the game demanded.  

He later moved to Life Behind Bars Racing (LBB Racing), a Bengaluru-based bicycle and tools retailer which has a racing membership. Round this time, realisation struck that he had no earnings for himself regardless of competing for 5 years. “I had assist from folks I knew, who helped improve my tools and journey bills. However I had no earnings of my very own and I wished to do one thing by myself,” he clarifies. A possibility offered itself within the type of an LBB franchise alternative in Ooty.

Turning level

That was one other turning level which modified the trajectory of his life. He moved to Ooty on March 1, 2020. Virtually instantly after the store opened, the nation went right into a pandemic-induced lockdown . “The lockdown reworked my life! Had I stayed at house, in Kerala, my life wouldn’t have modified,” he says. 

Since Ooty didn’t have as many restrictions as different locations; actions comparable to strolling, biking and so on had been allowed. “I like to speak to folks, simply pleasant banter and that led me to my first job as a biking coach to a seven-year-old woman.” From that one scholar, his college students grew and he was capable of develop a biking group there. It was Sangeetha Jayaram, whom he refers to as a mentor “who is sort of a mom and supported me immensely”, a instructor at Lawrence Faculty, Ooty, by way of whom he bought his first scholar. 

National Games silver medallist Sreenath Lakshmikanth

Nationwide Video games silver medallist Sreenath Lakshmikanth
| Photograph Credit score:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In 2020 he represented Kerala within the senior class on the Mumbai Nationwide Championship, the place he completed fourth. That was the final time he appeared for Kerala. He has been representing Tamil Nadu since 2021, additionally the yr he arrange his SL7 Excessive Altitude Coaching Centre. “I began coaching others in order that it doesn’t intervene with my coaching and sport. I can do my finest as a coach and athlete.” He coaches college students from throughout the nation, making the game extra accessible for individuals who can not afford international coaches.  

His dedication to the game is formed by the point he spent with the nation’s top-notch athletes within the sport comparable to Naveen John and skilled coaches comparable to Nigel Smith and his present coach, US bike owner Amber Neben. Not solely does he need medals for the nation at worldwide competitions but in addition assist different riders attain comparable objectives.

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