Boxing
5 unknown facts about Mary Kom
There are few things that are not known about Mary, but here are five interesting and lesser known fact.
Mary Kom is set to seal a berth at the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, her second Olympic appearance later tonight. The star boxer has achieved it all, she is a 6-time World Champion, London Olympics bronze medallist and has won many more accolades. She has had a movie made on her!
There are few things that are not known about Mary, but here are five interesting and lesser known facts —
#5 A high school dropout
Mary could not complete her high school education because she never had a penchant for studies. She decided to call it quits to devote more time to boxing when she was in class 7 at St Xavier's School. However, later on, she would go on to appear for the final exams in private and even go on to complete her graduation from Churachadpur College, also in private.
#4 Came to boxing after college
Although she liked boxing, Mary never took it seriously to begin with. She only started thinking of pursuing it as a career much later. In fact, it is said, it was only after her idol Dingko Singh won the gold medal at the Asian Games that Mary thought of giving boxing a shot. She was inspired by her hero's feats and that Asian Games gold became a life-changing inspiration for Mary Kom.
#3 An academy of her own
Source: marykomfoundation.com
Mary founded her own academy, the MC Mary Kom Boxing Academy in her home state, to encourage and help thousands of young talented boxers in achieving their dreams in boxing. She gives free training to numerous underprivileged girls since 2007 to ensure that poverty does not come between an aspiring boxer and his or her dreams.
#2 Care for the animals
Source: Twitter / Mary Kom
Mary is a huge supporter of animal rights campaigns. She strictly opposes and protests against harming animals for entertainment and has lent her support for the welfare of animals. It is truly incredible how Mary Kom epitomizes what unwavering commitment and dedication can do.
#1 Honour of bearing Queen's Baton
Source: Deccan Herald
Mary Kom has won a host of medals and honours. But given all her achievements and overcoming of all the hurdles, one of the most important feats is when she was given the honour of bearing the Queen's Baton in its opening ceremony run in the stadium for the 2010 Commonwealth Games of Delhi.
