National Games 2023: How Aamir Khan’s movie inspired Deborah Herold to become India’s top female cyclist

Published at :November 7, 2023 at 8:56 AM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:59 AM

She is the only Indian female cyclist to be ranked 4th in the UCI Individual world ranking.

Deborah Herold, a 28-year-old cyclist from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, traces her cycling journey back to the influence of Aamir Khan’s blockbuster Bollywood film “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.” She was only 13 years old when she first saw the film, and her passion for cycling grew from that year onwards.

Deborah, who secured a bronze medal in the Women’s team sprint category at the National Games 2023, is the only Indian female cyclist to be ranked fourth in the UCI Individual world ranking. She also holds the distinction of being the first Indian to compete at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships back in 2015.

However, the rise of Deborah was not without its challenges, as her parents initially opposed her cycling career due to financial constraints. She trained on her father’s Hero cycle and steadily improved her abilities until the Sports Authority of India (SAI) noticed her talent in 2010.

She went on to win two gold medals in the Elite Women’s 500m time trial event and the team sprint at the 2014 Herald Track Asia Cup held in New Delhi, India. She continued to excel, securing five medals for India, including a Gold and a Bronze medal, along with three Silver medals at the 2015 Taiwan Cup Track International Classic.

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Deborah’s professional training under SAI in Delhi significantly contributed to her cycling career, eventually leading to her first National Games appearance in Amritsar. As a native of the Nicobar Islands, Deborah faced various communication challenges during her early participation in the Asian Games due to limited proficiency in Hindi and English. However, her unwavering determination helped her overcome these language barriers.

Refusing to give up on her dreams, she always looks back to Aamir Khan’s movie “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar” as a continued source of inspiration. She says, “It has become my comfort movie for being the reason why I started cycling in the first place.”

Deborah has also overcome the harrowing aftermath of the devastating tsunami in 2004, when she was just nine years old. She was left stranded on a tree for four days while waiting for help to arrive and for her family to find her.

With her recent Bronze medal in the women’s team sprint at the 37th National Games in Goa, Deborah now aspires to move forward and prepare for the Summer Olympics in Paris 2024. She expressed her determination, stating, “I’m proud that I could win a medal for my state, but I’ll make sure to work hard for the Summer Olympics next year and accumulate as many points as I can.”