An extraordinary skater, Labdhi’s determination and passion towards skating has made her win laurels in the field. She advises new aspirants to never stop doing what they love and to never get disheartened with failures. She aspires to hone her skills with time and bring an Olympic Gold Medal for India. Labdhi is a brand ambassador for Beti Bachao Beti Padhao in Udaipur and has donated money for women's upliftment in sports.
The Initiation
Labdhi Surana hails from Udaipur. Initially her father took her to practice tennis, however, the coach there suggested she should do skating or running because of her weaker thighs. Thereafter, her mother chose skating for her and Labdhi gradually developed interest in the sport. Labdhi had to shift to Pune to learn skating from India’s National Coach. She says that skating has helped her in strengthening her body, hence making her more active and fast. Sports also has helped her increase her focus which helps her in her studies. She says that she has more than 120 medals till date.
Gurus & Role Models
Talking about her gurus, Labdhi says that many people have supported her in her sports journey such as Deepak sir and Pushpendra Sir. The national level coach of India Shripad Shinde supported her in everything when she was in Pune. She also thanks Deepak sir - the Director of Rockwoods International School - for making available for her the skating rink of the school to practice skating. Also, she says that her father supports her in everything and plays a vital role as he brings her to the rink daily so that she can practice her sport. Also, she considers Vikram Ingle as her role model who won a bronze medal in the Asian Games. Labdhi is also inspired by one of the finest female skaters in India - Aarathy Kasturi Raj.
The Talent
Labdhi says that skating is not a very popular sport, especially in Rajasthan. Skating has various races namely 100 meters, 500 meters, 1 Lap Road, Rink, Time Trial, and 2000 meters road. She says that she is a short sprinter and enjoys competing in short races.
Achievements
Labdhi received the National Child Award in the field of sports by the then President of India Sir Ram Nath Kovind in the year 2017. Thereafter, she received the Maharana Mewar Fateh Singh Award and Nari Shakti Award. The honorable Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also gave her the award for skating. Labdhi also got the award for skating by the governor of Assam, Gulab Chand Kataria on Republic Day. She has also been appreciated by the sports minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Chandna for her contribution to sports. Apart from these, she has also got several national and sixteen international medals in sports.
A Bit More
Labdhi says that she is the Brand Ambassador of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao - Udaipur. Apart from skating, Labdhi enjoys doing art, gymnastics, and playing basketball. She met with a major injury while skating and was not able to participate in any race. However, with her determination, she recovered in just one month and became the state second ranker in skating. She also believes in giving back to society and has even donated money for the upliftment of women in the field of sports. The advice that Labdhi wants to give to the youngsters is to never stop doing what they love. She says that along with studies, sports are equally important in life and one should definitely pursue the sport they love. To the aspiring skaters, Labdhi advises them to never get disheartened with the failures in racing. “Dreams are not those that you see while sleeping. Rather, dreams are those that never let you sleep” is the saying that inspires and motivates her.
