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India's Upasha Talukdar dreams of becoming the next Nadia Comăneci, Olga Korbut, or Simone Biles — but she has to do it without a certified coach, or stadium to train in.
The 16-year-old, from Assam in Northeast India, started to dream big at the age of eight.
"I didn't know much about gymnastics, but rhythmic gymnastics caught my attention when I saw videos of world champions on YouTube," Upasha said.
"It was mesmerising and then I started dreaming of taking up gymnastics seriously."
But her parents were clueless as to where to put their daughter for training since there was no certified gymnastics coach in the state.
"She has always been flexible, twisting and turning and dancing to music," her father Nikunja Talukdar said.
"The day I saw her scratching her ear with her toes because her hands were occupied with homework, I decided she was cut out for gymnastics."
Learning the ropes via the internet
Upasha started in artistic gymnastics but a coach recommended she try rhythmic gymnastics.
"We did not know what that was but we registered," her father said.
A Google search of rhythmic gymnastics led her father to a number of YouTube videos.
"That's how I learnt the initial exercises," Upasha said.
"When I started watching videos and learning the basics of rhythmic gymnastics I needed a stadium to train so my parents started looking for a place to train. They even looked for parking lots," Upasha said.
Her father later took to social media as well, to reach out to gymnasts around the world.
"The moment I saw someone was a gymnast, I would send a friend request," he said. And a plea.
"I told them that I had a daughter and I needed someone to guide her."
Coaching by distance
Upasha found a few coaches online and help came from around the world including France, Russia, Australia, Uzbekistan, and Georgia.
One of them was a 16-year-old Russian rhythmic gymnast, Olesya, who decided to train Upasha through Skype, and was in awe of her videos and photographs.
Upasha emerged as one of the youngest medallists at the 2020 Khelo India Youth Games in (Guwahati, Assam), an annual national level multidisciplinary competition for school students under 17, and college students under 21.
She won three medals in gymnastics at the event, in a first for Assam.
Her parents are tirelessly working to help their daughter fulfil her dreams.
Recently, Upasha trained for two months at the Privolzhanka gymnastics school in Kazan, Russia, under a Russian coach Marina Alexandranova.
With no sponsors, and no support from the government her parents financed the trip.
It's a challenge for her family, but Upasha's passion keeps them going.
Upasha is now gearing up for the National Games to be held in Goa from October 25-November 9, and Gymnastics Federation of India Games so that she can qualify for upcoming international competitions.
"I am taking baby steps as people say," Upasha said.
" I want to go to Asian Championship, win a medal there, World Championships, World Cup and then I want to go to Olympics.
"I want to see my country's flag go up and I want to do that for my country just like my idols."
Prarthana Hazarika is a senior sports journalist at India's public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, and a member of the International Sports Press Association.
She is part of ABC International Development’s Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.