Balancing act: Junior fencing champion from Navi Mumbai scores 92.2% in CBSE Class 12

Navi Mumbai: Belapur’s Prishaa Chhetri (19) came down with dengue soon after returning from state youth fencing championship armed with a top medal, and a few weeks before her CBSE Class 12 board exams. After recovery and just before the exams, she left for the national youth fencing championship. Despite her hectic sporting schedule she emerged as a champion in academics as well. The hardship of travel and competitions did not deter her from securing high scores. The four-time national medal winner, a student of Delhi Public School, scored 92.2% in science.Her parents had advised her to opt for commerce or humanities, but Prishaa had Physics on her mind, although she spent hours travelling between Belapur and Wadala on a daily basis for fencing training at the Elite Fencing Club. She never missed a single session of training all through the board exam year, and also the study table.“Despite hours-long training, I was sure of scoring better in board exams and turned the table in my favour. I am happy that I have been successful in both academics and sports. My dream is to do research in Physics and don the tricolour in the Olympics as well,” said an elated Prishaa.Her mother Jaya said, “She is very hard working and her determination and perseverance have made us proud in sports and studies. She proved that things are possible by the dint of hard work.”