Kashish Malik is an Indian taekwondo athlete (57kg). She has represented India at the Asian Games in 2018 and reached the Quarter-finals. She is currently training under Peace Taekwondo Academy and is supported by the Virat Kohli Foundation.
According to her “Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times. They can only make you stronger”
Catch Kashish Malik, Taekwondo Champion in conversation with Women Fitness President, Ms. Namita Nayyar as she unfolds her success story.
N.N.
You are the youngest athlete to have won a Gold medal in the South Asian Games 2019 in the 57kg category in Kathmandu, Nepal. Share the journey that motivated you to take up Taekwondo as a profession and win the medal.
K.M.
As a matter of fact, nothing motivated me to come up and look forward to this sport as professionally. Back in 2014, my dreams were on a different path, it was an IAS dream which I was looking forward but life has a better plan for you that’s what I think. When I was 14 I went into a bad fight with a boy and at the same time taekwondo coach of my school came up and tried to stop, he forced me and challenged me to come up into this sport for a month, and check my ability. I think it was a time where for the very first time I took a challenge and never look back, that’s the turning point where my dreams fall on a different path. I am blessed to have such a family where they supported me in my every career decision, when I adopt this sport professionally I joined peace taekwondo academy in 2015 end, whose coach is the World champion and who is from Afghanistan. At different ages of my life, there was different kind of motivations and inspirations that inspired me. Very first it was my coach then later different personalities. I am not stuck or dependent on motivation to do something in my life. It is my goals that derive from me.
I got a Knee ACL tear just before 2 months of the World championship and I consulted with the doctor that I need to play in this championship no matter what. After seeing my crazy passion to play my doctor got convinced and told me to do the rehab along with my training and before the final go-ahead from him I was supposed to clear the medical strength exam of my knee and I focused on that completely but unfortunately, our Taekwondo team couldn’t go due to some reasons. I got disheartened that I risked my knee and focused on that championship and still couldn’t make it. But then I decided that I won’t look back instead I will focus on the upcoming championship which was the South Asian Games 2019 and before that I had exactly 7 months to go for surgery and do rehab and then back to training and qualify for the trials to play this Tournament.
My doctor advised me it’s next to impossible to come back in 7 months but I insisted he advises me and helps me in my rehab so I can recover fast. It was the toughest time. Any athlete who would have gone through injury in their life would completely relate to my situation. I had two options to choose either I’ll focus and believe in me that I can do it or else I just give up. I choose to fight and I did get selected in the trials to play for this tournament. I think nothing is more motivating than your goals. We need to have a purpose in our life. When I got a purpose, when I got my goals that’s what motivated me they derived me to achieve and to get medals for my country.