How ticket collector Aadarsh Ram never lost track of dream

CHENNAI: In the bustling Churchgate railway station, a 24-year-old Tamil Nadu high jumper was always on his toes as a ticket collector (TC), navigating the demands of a job in one of Mumbai’s busiest transit hubs. In the sea of faces, no one knew that the uniform concealed an athlete quietly chasing heights.

A few years on, that quiet pursuit has begun to echo on bigger stages. Aadarsh Ram clinched bronze in the Asian Indoor Championships with a 2.19m effort in Feb and has breached the qualification standards for both the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games set by the Athletics Federation of India (AFI). He pushed his limits further, clearing a personal best of 2.23m to finish second in the recent Indian Open Series in Bengaluru.

The first year at the Railways proved to be a test of endurance, as the 28-year-old struggled to balance shifts with the rigours of training. During this period, Aadarsh found himself stuck around the 2.12m mark, unable to make the breakthrough he had hoped for. With time catching up, he started losing belief in himself. According to Railways rules, only a medal at the Open Nationals would grant him a year to train full-time, making 2023 a decisive season.

A podium finish would allow him to focus solely on athletics; otherwise, he would have to continue juggling work and training. What followed proved to be a turning point in his career. Despite nursing a heel injury, Aadarsh secured a third-place finish, with three athletes tied at the 2.10m mark. “Had I not medalled at the Open Nationals in 2023, my career would have been over. I was at a very low point and when people said that I cannot progress, I started to feel if I could excel. I guess I had a bit of luck on my side as the three of us ended with bronze medals,” Aadarsh told TOI.

After joining Western Railways in May 2021, he could not train full time and the period from September 2021 to September 2022 was particularly tough. While on duty, his mind would drift, wondering what he was doing there instead of focusing on sport. “Many passengers would hesitate to pay fines immediately, and I knew only a little Hindi at the time. Some would ask me about it and even target me, but it was normal for me. I had to learn the language to manage, and my seniors helped me.

“Whenever I find sportspersons at the station, they often try to avoid me. I would advise them to buy tickets and not risk doing the wrong thing and getting fined.”

While Aadarsh was unable to train during the pandemic, he struggled to find his rhythm in the first two years after joining the Railways and was without a coach. It was then that he approached Sahana Kumari, the national record holder in women’s high jump, for training in Bengaluru. He began working under her in Jan 2023 and has since shown steady progression.

Many then believed that Aadarsh had already crossed his prime with frequent injuries not helping his cause, but he was determined to prove them wrong. “While Sarvesh (Kushare) had cleared 2.21m in his early 20s and showed consistent progress, my journey was marked by inconsistency. However, under the guidance of Sahana ma’am, I have strengthened my basics, and our aim is to not just compete in CWG and Asiad rather win medals. I am just getting started this season and I think I can get past the 2.25m mark, which could fetch me medals in both the competitions,” the senior TC added.

The 28-year-old feels that his age may be one of the reasons why he is not officially part of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) NCOE centre, believing that administrators tend to factor it in. However, with his recent performances and the Asiad and CWG on the horizon, he hopes for a full-time training at the centre in Bengaluru soon.

The start

Aadarsh, a mechanical engineer, did not want to pursue a career in sports initially and focus on academics. His trajectory changed when he secured admission in Coimbatore under the sports quota, where a full scholarship hinged on winning a medal at a national-level competition. He did so without proper training and later competed in the World University Games in 2019.

Intent on managing his own educational expenses, Aadarsh was determined not to depend on his parents. That drive to earn a full scholarship shaped his discipline and continues to define his approach to the sport.