Geeta Phogat

Born on December 15, 1988, in Balali, India, Geeta Phogat was instantly placed in a household unlike many others. Raised in a small village in Haryana, Phogat was trained and mentored under the constant supervision of her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat. Her story is different compared to the average emerging wrestler; practicing on mud floors rather than padded mats, she grew up surrounded by the ideals of the culturally conservative beliefs of her neighboring community. The rights of women were restricted, as opportunities for work and education were often cut short due to the frequent occurrence of arranged marriages. Amongst the stark criticism many had retorted, stating that such a thing, in allowing girls to practice wrestling, was looked down upon, as it would decrease the possibility for future marriage prospects, and was labeled as “shameful”; Geeta and her three younger sisters still pushed on with the strict regimen of practice administered by her dad. Geeta’s father, once a former member of India’s national wrestling team, enforced their routines in hopes of seeing his daughters become world-class athletes. He was their biggest supporter despite the harsh treatment Geeta had received from her community and the unfavorable conditions they were dealt with. Many of her early competitions were matches against boys, as there were no girls who had even wrestled, and transportation systems were paid for with borrowed money from family and friends. Her victories had eventually won the attention of the Indian government and an athletic organization, which had provided assistance, allowing Geeta access to new training facilities in the northern state of Punjab. As her career flourished, many people who had once doubted or hailed disapproval were quickly silenced; as they saw the shining example of how athletics, more specifically wrestling, was a place for women to shine and stand out.