That’s how she rolls

CHENNAI: An ice rink is her comfort zone, wheels are her weapon, and speed is her constant companion. There’s no stopping Subi Suvetha the minute she starts skating. At the age of 21, she’s gone places — district, state, national and even international events representing the country in speed skating under 100, 200 and 500 m categories. Last year, she represented India in the senior women’s category at the World Roller Games in Barcelona, Spain, and came 21st out of the lot. 

“Skating is an expensive sport. The gears alone cost me a lakh. We need to have at least four pairs of wheels for a year. We also need to sponsor our travel expenses. There’s no financial support or funds from the government and it’s disheartening for aspirants like me. We don’t enjoy even the basic privileges that international skaters do,” opened up Subi Suvetha. However, the skater is proud that Tamil Nadu records the highest participation rate in the national entries. 

Blades of glory
It’s been 12 years since she put on those boots. As a 10-year-old, Subi saw a bunch of kids sport rollerblades and skate on the ground in a nearby park. It was love at first sight. She got her pair of boots and began skating in a badminton court for the first two years. Drawn by the adrenaline rush from the sport, she decided to take it up professionally under coach A Raja for the next five to six years. To date, she undergoes four hours of rigorous training every day to stay ahead of the race. 

“I practice on roads and tracks on alternate days. My day begins at 4 30 am and I head to Marina Beach to skate. In the evenings, I go to Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and that’s one of the best race tracks in the country. I also hit the gym for core training, functional training and aerobics. Time management is the biggest skill skating has taught me. I’m currently coaching under Sathyamoorthy,” shared Subi, a resident of KK Nagar.  

Cutting the edge
In her first-ever world championship, held in Nanjing, China in 2017 she finished 16 out of a total of 45 skaters from all over the world. Her best international performance came in 2018 where she was ranked 6 in the Asian championships. At the recently held national championships in Vizag, Subi won two gold medals and completed a hat-trick of gold medals in the 100 m events, which she has been winning for the past three years, making her one of the fastest skaters in India.

“I’ve lost more races than I’ve won. But the adrenaline rush you experience when the wind gushes against you as you skate on the rink is worth the effort. The space gives you freedom to move around and you feel liberated. The sport gives me a sense of direction and the power to follow my dreams. It’s an integral part of my life,” said Subi. 

“It’s important to acknowledge the sacrifices my parents have made in the process of supporting my sport. They follow the same routine as I do and accompany me to all the international games. My dad drives me to classes and mom takes care of the other needs. I’d be nowhere without them. I’m also optimistic about the talents our country can produce. There’s no dearth of skaters. They just need funds to fly high,” said Subi. To sponsor, call: 9094466229

Skating ahead
Suvetha is training for the World and Asian championships. The selections for the World championship is at Patiala in May.