Each Olympic Games gives us legends. The legends may or may not have won medals or even qualified for the quarterfinals. But they are still legends. Because they dared to brave the odds and reach the stage. Because they persevered, putting that effort and commitment, day after day, behind the dream of the Olympics.

The ultimate reward of the medal doesn’t make them champions. Their journey does.

Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi and his Qatari rival Mutaz Essa Barshim created history at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 when they asked an official if they could have two gold medals for the same event after several failed tiebreakers. And the official said yes.

Of course, there was a celebration of brotherhood. But that is not what makes Tamberi and Barshim special. It’s their journey to the stage that does...

In 2016, Tamberi had arrived at Rio for the Olympics, but tragedy struck just a few days before the competition kicked off. Tamberi broke his ankle. Reduced from a participant to a teary-eyed spectator, Tamberi thought nothing could be worse than this...but there was. Later, doctors informed him that the severity of the injury could end his career as a high jumper.

Tamberi made sure that fate bowed to the strength of his perseverance. He wrote ’Road to Tokyo 2020’ on his plaster cast. When the pandemic postponed the Games, he crossed out the year and wrote in red ’2021’. The cast lay on the track after his gold.

In Kolkata, I came across a similar story of perseverance.

Mamta Mahato made fate bow to her perseverance. An apparel shop owner in Raghunathpur, Mamta is busy with expansion plans today and has a second store in mind. Something that she could not have imagined three years back.

Mamta had started a clothes store as a mother of three to bring some financial stability to her family. Initially, the shop drew customers. But as competition grew, Mamta’s store started losing customers. After a year and a half, her business losing money, and she got into debt.

She debated whether to lease out the shop or shut it down. The thought of giving up years of hard work was devastating. Mamta clung to the shop, praying for the best.

Her prayers were answered...

One day, while walking to her shop, she saw a freshly painted signboard atop a new office. The man behind the counter looked familiar. Mamta realised it was her classmate. Mamata dropped in, and they got chatting. The friend explained that he was in microfinance, and the office was of Village Financial Services. He also explained what microfinance is all about.

Mamta saw hope again. A week later, she was at the VFS branch, applying for a loan.

That was the beginning of Mamta’s second innings.

With the loan, Mamta decided to stock her shop with a new variety of clothes and keep abreast of fashion trends. She visited the leading outlets in Kolkata and did some market research.

By the next month, Mamta’s store was stocked with trendy clothes and attracted a rush of customers.

Every month, her husband visits Kolkata and brings in fresh stocks. Mamta’s clothes store has become a sought-after destination ahead of any festival or occasion. Within a year, Mamta found herself thinking of employing some shop assistants.

The journey has just started for Mamta and the better days are ahead.