Conquering life through dedication & commitment

An exceptional individual who has achieved remarkable feats in her life, whose story will motivate and leave you in awe — is Ankita Shrivastava who began with the selfless act of donating 74% of her liver to her ailing mother, many years ago. You can’t boss her, you like her.
Pushing human civilisation forward, now a sportsperson in athletics stands out and is making a mark. To know more about how did she break the silence and made new discoveries, we did an exclusive interview with her and what we heard incited a valuable conversation between us.
“From being a national level swimmer to a state level basketball winner or if we speak of my volleyball applauses: I covered all the spectrums. But after the transplant came a major low when I had to leave sports.”
Before that, her mother passed away and that’s when she did not let the tragedy crush her spirit. Instead, she took up athletics and underwent intense training to become an athlete! It took three months for her to get out of the wheelchair and eventually six hours of training a day. After three years of recovery, she went on to represent our country at the World Transplant Games 2019 and is currently the world record holder for the long jump and throw ball. In fact, her name is in the India Book of Records as well as the Limca Book of Records!
“There was always an adrenaline rush that flowed through my veins, whenever anyone mentioned the name of any sport. There were so many situations where I felt way too pressured, the stakes were very high. But at the same time, there were experiences that gave meaning to my life too. Since, this was something not so conventional route, where you have to compromise with your health, like, for example in a corporate job. Seventy percent of the time I have to be selfish had to keep myself healthy anyhow.”
The World Transplant Games, which is held by the Olympics Association, is a celebration of the second chance of life, demonstrating the success of transplant surgery and promoting the need to raise public awareness of organ and tissue donation. Ankita will be representing our country once again despite leaving her sports career behind.
She elucidates, “I remember we were a team of fourteen, there was so much of pressure on me. I was prepared for six hours consecutively and felt I am so ready. But when we reached the United Kingdom, others had a better physique than me. They had a personal trainer and the environment was too much to take for me. That’s when I realised it was not going to be an easy cup of tea. I was busy owning a medal to myself so that I can get rid of so many pressures on me. Previously, I didn’t even leave my hotel room for a day to explore London because I was so stressed. Jenny Kerry in the last millisecond came first while I got a silver to my name. To me, it was the happiest moment of my life, though Jenny got extremely pissed ( she laughed ). When she understood in the qualifiers that the margin to win is very bleak, she started to lose her cool on the field. Midway, she left! When she returned, there was only stress around her and that’s when I defeated her and won a gold to myself.”
From being one of the youngest liver donors in the country to the first Indian athlete to win double gold at the World Transplant Games, her journey is a testament to the power of love, perseverance, and the human spirit. This story is not just about her achievements but also about her ability to inspire others. Her message of hope and courage resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds. Through her entrepreneurial ventures and her advocacy for organ donation, she is making a difference in the lives of many. How?
Well, “I am extremely harsh to me. Allergic to many sorts of cuisine that I could have savoured in life. Intermittent fasting is way too hectic for me because I don’t cook. Then I enrolled myself in an MBA school abroad, leaving my family behind. I was managing my own expenses mostly, and my biggest challenge until now is living the multiple lives that I have. Now I am an entrepreneur too, handling two businesses. Life is testing my commitment and patience. But, I derive pleasures from these challenges.”
Ankita is also an accomplished entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, author, and the youngest to enter the 40 under 40 animation, VFX, gaming, and the comics industry in India. Her passion for creating positive change in the world is evident in her work and from the past seven years as a serial entrepreneur in the IP, media, entertainment, and edTech business. She is also an honorary member of the Young Indian and Indian Women network by the Confederation of Indian Industry. Additionally, she has been awarded the Excellence in Sports award and National Sports Times award among many others. So we don’t think there is a better time to be a woman than now — she’s now enjoying her rights and making her decisions in life. And the list goes on.