Para Olympics Or StartUp Life, Breaking Stereotypes Everywhere

It is interesting to observe that entrepreneurship and sports, despite their differences, have striking similarities. There are many similarities between the challenges faced by athletes and founders of startups, for example, making unconventional career choices, dealing with opposition from loved ones, handling criticism, dealing with financial difficulties, experiencing career lows, and managing the balance between personal and professional lives.

A number of unique personality traits have also been found to connect these individuals, such as optimism, determination, dedication, adaptability, a sense of self-belief that drives their drive for excellence, and a drive for excellence fuels their drive to achieve their goals.

The fifth episode saw the host Shyamal Vallabhjee and Neeraj Matiyani in an engaging conversation with Para Olympian Padma Shree Deepa Malik and the Founder of Razorpay, Shashank Kumar. 

They shared stories from their own journeys and experiences, the problems they encountered, and how they overcame them despite all odds.

The Journey, Revisited

Every minute and every word of the episode left a mesmerising effect. Listening to the guests talking about how they faced societal pressure and yet, decided to keep their journeys ignited was indeed inspiring.  

Defying all stereotypes, Padmashri Dr. Deepa Malik has donned all the hats successfully. She has been making India proud with her achievements and giving a ray of hope to people with disabilities. 

She is the first Indian woman to win a medal in Paralympic Games and won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in shot put. She also won gold in the F-53/54 Javelin event at the Para athletic Grand Prix held in Dubai in 2018.

The athlete was diagnosed with a spine tumour when she was five, and after three years of treatment and physiotherapy she recovered from it. But that was not the end of her suffering. Her tumour returned at the age of 29 and doctors said that she would not be able to walk after the surgery. Her story of grit and bravery is inspiring in every word.

For Razorpay Founder Shashank Kumar, he knew that he was embarking a journey which is still considered to be a taboo in India. Even as India is witnessing an entrepreneurship revolution at the moment, being an entrepreneur is still considered to be a taboo. When a youngster decides to leave his or her well-paying job and don the hat of an entrepreneur, India and even his own family still looks at them with surprise.

Breaking The Stereotypes

Para Olympian Dr. Deepa Malik says it is not easy to break the stereotypes – “They say necessity is the mother of invention. It was necessary for me to get into a journey to defy stereotypes. Everyone wanted to state as if my life has ended. I always say solution finding should be the order of the day and you should be willing to learn about a situation. Even after three decades, nothing has changed in terms of society looking at disability. Breaking the stereotype was a lot of learning.”  

She narrated how she was initially discouraged from looking beyond her disabilities but it is her father’s words which kept inspiring her. “I was raised in an army family and was always taught that one should fight and not lose hope. It was this training by my father that kept me going,” she said.

Deepa was just starting at a time when the majority of athletes were planning their retirement. She started by becoming a member of the Himalayan Motorsports Association and completed an 8-day, 1,700 km bike ride in subzero weather to the elevation of 18,000 feet. Visuals of this feat were also shown in the episode, further creating an inspiring atmosphere for the conversation that followed. Dr Malik added that it was her love for the outdoors and her determination for changing how people looked at wheelchair women that made her work harder each day and achieve what she aspired to.

From US To India, The Journey Continues

As Shashank Kumar, founder and managing director of Razorpay says – “Entrepreneurship is still a very uncommon thing. It is still something going against the terrain, taking on an idea and going through it. There are so many opportunities out there. But the basic problem is that in our society or education there is nothing that encourages us to take risks. It takes a different mindset to say that and implement. In 2014, when I told my family that I want to come back and do something, they asked me how much I would be earning.”

For someone who left a well-paying job as a software developer in Microsoft US, this was a tough decision indeed. 

Kumar remembered how when he first began, the company experienced several difficulties with compliance and regulation, just like any other fintech. He shared that the journey was not easy, but slow and steady, which made him create the company of his dreams.

The Host Who Binds Every Episode

The show is hosted by India’s first Sports Scientist and leading Performance Coach, Shayamal Vallabhjee, who has over two decades of field experience with Olympians and top athletes, helping them to enhance their competitive edge. With his panache for evoking thoughtful questions through inspirational storytelling, he recreated his magic in each episode of AWS Torchbearers Inc. through up-close and personal conversations with our guests.  

In the fifth episode, Shyamal Vallabhjee defined who a real torchbearer is and created a base for what one can look forward to in an engaging episode. “A torchbearer is someone who inspires others. 

This platform brings India’s elite unicorn founders together on the same stage with India’s athletes and para-athletes who have made us proud at an Olympic level. Winning an Olympic gold and entrepreneurial bold are the same,” Vallabhjee remarked.  

What Is AWS Torchbearers Inc.? 

AWS Torchbearers Inc. is a talk series crafted to inspire the startup community by taking inspiration from the Olympic Games' essence. The goal of this series is to spark motivation and insight into startup businesses as it moves beyond its predecessor, StartupSpin. AWS Torchbearers Inc. - Hustle Reignited is presented by AWS in association with NeoNiche.

Olympic gold medallists and successful entrepreneurs are brought together by AWS Torchbearers Inc., who are cherished DNB clientele. These amazing people share their experiences, setbacks, and resilience on stage while telling tales of how they overcame adversity to become champions in their chosen fields.

In previous episodes, Torchbearer series had the privilege of featuring renowned Olympians such as Manika Batra and Sania Mirza. Notable personalities like Trivikaraman Thampy, along with Harsh Jain from Game 24x7 and Dream11, have also graced the platform. And these are just a few of the many inspiring names amongst the many. All the previous episodes are available On Demand on the Torchbearer Inc. website. The partners for the series are BW Businessworld & TIE Mumbai.  

Stay tuned as the series continues to be a platform delivering profound conversations that guide aspiring and established entrepreneurs on their paths to success. This episode can be viewed here.