‘I was blank mentally’: Lokesh opens up on darkest phase before setting national record

Bengaluru: For Lokesh Sathyanathan (in pic), it was a giant leap, literally and figuratively. His 8.21m jump, the third-best ever by an Indian, not only set a national indoor record but also earned him NCAA gold in Fayetteville, Arkansas, last week. For his father, Sathyanathan, a taxi driver in Bengaluru, the moment carried even deeper meaning. The family had sold jewellery worth ten lakh rupees and their car just to send their son to the United States, hoping he could pursue his dreams. This victory was not just a medal; it was the most rewarding news they could have hoped for. The 26-year-old Lokesh’s success is a moving story of grit and relentless hard work, one that carried him to the top of the podium while representing Tarleton State University in Texas.

His journey began under the guidance of M Muralidharan, a former Asian silver medallist, who trained him for 12 years at Bengaluru’s Sree Kanteerava Stadium without charging a rupee. Lokesh fought his way back after a battle with depression following the loss of his mother to Covid-19. Lokesh’s sister, S Monica, also a national-level athlete in the women’s 400m hurdles, told TOI, “He got medical help, but it took him almost a year to get back to training.”

“It was not easy when I heard that my mom was no more,” Lokesh told TOI from Texas. “My whole world went still, and then it began to hit me that she is no more. I was blank mentally. Then I started telling myself, I know that she is not there, but what can I do to make her happy? I want to do things to fulfil her dreams and keep her happy wherever she is.” “She is always with me, guiding me and taking care of me. So I now know that she has physically left me, but she is always with me spiritually,” added Lokesh, who joined the elite list of Indians comprising Mohinder Singh Gill (triple jump), Vikas Gowda (discus throw) and Tejaswin Shankar (high jump), who have won the NCAA title before. Monica said it was the sacrifices made by their father, L Sathyanathan, mother Felcy Mary and aunt L Vasagi that helped Lokesh's career take fresh wings in the USA.