I am Urbasi Malik, a basketball coach with the SOA University in Bhubaneswar. I joined HER Sport Ki Champion to learn English. In 4 months I feel more confident. I have started speaking in English. I come from an economically weaker background in Kandhamal. My parents are farmers and are not educated. I am a first-generation graduate. I played sports to have a future and earn well. Today, through HER Sport Ki Champion, I have also got an internship with WithStand Fitness, and am hoping to join a job soon. I give 10/10 to the program.

I am Puja Behera. I joined HER Sport Ki Champion to learn English. I am grateful that they selected me. I am a 21 year old athlete. I want to prepare myself for a job alongside my athletics career. I got an internship with WithStand fitness. Hopefully this will lead to a job soon. Through HSKC I learnt communication skills, how to face interviews and the connection with WithStand Fitness. I give 9/10 to the program.

Minati Murmu, a resident of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, hails from the Santhal tribe. She takes pride in her culture and her roots and her long-term goal is to contribute towards the preservation of her tribal language and culture. Minati has played Kabaddi at the national level and has occasionally dabbled in sports journalism. Since she identified strongly with her sport, she felt that without Kabaddi, she could never move ahead in life. This eroded her self-confidence. During the coaching sessions, Minati learnt to explore her other strengths and realistically work on her shortcomings. Using tools like journaling and preparing a vision board, she learned to set smart goals and work towards them. This helped her develop greater clarity on her career goals, increased self confidence, a willingness to adapt to a new work environment and an openness towards an alternative career. Minati secured a job with Tata Strive in January 2024. Today, she is committed to giving her best, learning new skills and adapting to her new work environment.

Arti Bilung hails from Odisha and has been a national level hockey player. She lives with her mother and brother in Bhubaneshwar. Arti is a graduate and has been pursuing her post graduate diploma in Computer Applications. Despite playing at the national level, Arti’s inability to converse in English had created an inferiority complex and held her back in interactions with those senior to her in age and experience. During the coaching sessions, she identified her strengths and weaknesses, using the tools for a SWOT analysis and the guidance of her coach. This helped her set smart goals and plan out actionable steps. Arti has gradually overcome her fear of speaking in English and has learnt to be more assertive. This has given her self-confidence a tremendous boost and has helped her prepare for and land a job in Utkarsh Small Finance Bank. Her self-awareness and willingness to learn, adapt and regulate her emotions continue to be her strengths and are sure to develop into skills that will help her grow in her career. Arti is currently being coached in improving work-life balance and time management skills as she handles her household responsibilities and her new job.

Kabita is a former Kabaddi player in her early 40s. Over the past couple of years, she has been coaching young girls and boys in Kabaddi and leading them to participate in intra and inter-state matches. Through coaching, she has found her voice. She has been able to identify her strengths as well as her goal, which is to achieve financial independence. She is currently working on her self-confidence and accountability, and is gradually learning to prioritise herself and her needs.

Intense anxiety issues and her overthinking led Niharika to quit at the peak of her athletics career. With the coaching sessions, she has found help in managing anxiety and building self-confidence. Identifying her strengths, practising positive affirmations, reframing thoughts and using other NLP tools have helped create a shift. She is now completing her Diploma in Physical Education and preparing for the SSC exams.

Ranjita was extremely shy and reticent due to a troubled family situation. Unfortunately, a few weeks into the coaching process, she lost her mother. Coaching helped her deal with her grief and channelise it into increasing her confidence. A month later, she got married. While she is keen on completing her studies and taking up a job, the focus of coaching is to help her strengthen her new relationships and create a support system to help her achieve her goals.