A 17 year old skater and a student of Kola Perumal Chetty Vaishnav Senior Secondary School in Chennai, Avikshit represented India in the World and Asian skating championships. He won gold, silver and bronze medals in the Asian Skating Championships and holds a record for clinching all the three medals. He also set a record in the World Skating Championship by being the rank holder among the top five fastest players in the world. He credits his mentor for his achievements and says he has learned a lot from him.

The Initiation

Avikshit shares that when he was four years old, he watched a film in Tamil which was based on skating and the skates as well as the speed fascinated him. On the very next day his parents took him to a park and he saw many skaters there. Then his parents talked to the coach and he joined the Anna Nagar Skating Club.

Gurus & Role Models

Avikshit is a student of Anna Nagar Skating Club in Chennai and later he joined the Nehru Stadium for his further training. There he got the guidance of his mentor Selva Kumar who is also a Team India Skater. His coach initially created a foundation by developing all the basics and strength but the scientific training and the right path was guided by his mentor. His mentor is training many students at present and he feels that he has the capability to mentor many more. He considers his mentor Selva Kumar as his role model who has dedicated himself to the sport so much that even despite injuries, he comes to the track in order to guide his students. His mentor always guides the students in the right direction and Avikshit is very much inspired by him.

The Talent

Avikshit says that in roller speed skating the boots are on four wheels like a motorbike and it is a kind of racing. It includes speed, racing, strategies and many more that makes it a fascinating sport.

Achievements

Avikshit says that in the year 2019 he won a National Silver Medal. In 2021, he achieved four gold medals in the National Skating Championship and created a record in the Junior category. He also held the National Record for 200m and 100m. He also won the gold, silver and bronze medals in the Asian Skating Championship and created a record as well.

A Bit More

Avikshit shares that skating is more about scientific training than only hard work. He believes that it is important to work in the right direction. Hard work must be mixed with smart work and scientific training in order to produce the best results. He thanks his mentor for showing him the right way and it is just because of the proper training that he has been able to accomplish such great achievements. He says that a sports person’s life is predominantly taken by their training sessions and most of the time they are recovering for the training sessions ahead. He utilizes the limited productive time to manage his studies along with the sport. The sport has helped him enhance his concentration power. The quote “All we have to fear is the fear itself” inspires and motivates him a lot and he believes that if you are confident, determined and motivated then no force can hold you back. He advises the youngsters to prioritize scientific training over hard work because if you are not going in the right direction it will not help you. He says that it is also important to focus on your diet that must be full of protein and reduced sugar and fats mainly before the competitions. Never let your mind be idle, as an empty mind is the devil's workshop.