Fear of failure turned Shobha a braveheart

HYDERABAD: Fear, if channelisedproperly, can be a great motivator indeed. Heptathlete JJ Shobha proved thatduring the Athens Olympic Games.The city-based athlete tore herligament during the javelin throw and it looked as if her Olympic dreams wereover. Shobha herself knew that competing in the final event—the 800metres—was a foolhardy effort as she could have aggravated herinjury.But to everyone''s shock and awe, the gritty Shobha not onlyturned up for the event but also finished a creditable third to push her tallyto 6,172 and an overall 11th position.How did Shobha find thecourage to run the race even though she was in agony? Let''s hear it from thebraveheart''s mouth. "I had decided not to run the 800 metres as the pain wasunbearable and the possibility of aggravating the injury was very real. But whenI looked at the overall points tally, I realised that if I did not run the 800metres then I could end up at the bottom of the table. This changed my mind,"Shobha told The Times of India over telephone from New Delhi."Thefear of utter failure gripped me as I knew if I finished last it would hurt mypride and prick my conscience. Hence I decided to run, come what may. I said tomyself, ‘whatever happens I am not going to be beaten by 33 otherathletes''," the SCR employee said.But Shobha has had to pay a pricefor that courageous decision. She will be out of action for at least a month.However, she has no regrets. "I gave the Olympics my bestshot.Injuries come and go. I have to undergo an MRI scan today toknow the extent of the injury. I should be able to start training in amonth."Talking about her experience as a first-time Olympian, theHubli-born girl said competing with the best has given her confidence atremendous boost. However, she feels that unless Indians get more internationalexposure, they will not be able to excel at the Olympics.Shobha hasnow set her sights on the 2006 Doha Asian Games. "I will compete in theheptathlon. I am also eying the long jump and the 200 metres," she said beforesigning off.