'Winning gold for India was a dream I lived on that rink.'
Meet Naisha Mehta, a skating prodigy who kept the Indian flag flying at the Asian roller-skating championship in South Korea in July.
On her international debut, the 17-year-old artistic roller-skating prodigy from Mumbai became the first Indian junior skater to win Gold in the Junior Girls Solo Dance category at the annual competition, triumphing with a lead of 6.72 points.
And nothing pleased the teenager more than standing on the podium as the national anthem played.
"I will always remember that moment. All the other countries got up for mine, while I was on the podium. I was so, so happy, I was literally jumping inside," Naisha tells Rediff's Norma Astrid Godinho.
Naisha was just 4-and-a-half years old when she first stepped onto the rink with a pair of skates. Now with 10 national Golds, 28 state Golds, and 23 district-level Golds, Naisha has become the one to beat.
Naisha has also consistently topped national and international math and science Olympiads, including the Gauss, Pascal, SEAMO, and Dr Homi Bhabha competitions while also finishing 1st runner-up at the Pearl Padamsee Trophy for Excellence in Drama.
A student of the Champions Junior Science College, Navi Mumbai, Naisha is in Class 12. She is preparing for her NEET 26 and is well aware that balancing her passion for skating with academics can get "tricky".
What first drew you to the sport?
All my school friends had signed up to learn basic skating, so I joined too. I discovered that in this sport, I could dance to music while skating and that's when it clicked for me. I knew I was made for it.
At what point did skating shift from a hobby to a serious pursuit for you?
The turning point was when I became eligible for the Nationals at 8 years old and got to compete for the first time. Seeing the seniors in action and meeting other athletes my age made me realise how serious this sport was.
And when I won a gold medal in my very first year, it hit me that I had what it takes. I just needed to push myself to the next level.
Who were your role models in those early years?
In the beginning, Mumbai senior skater Viraj Sukhyani was my role model. Later, when I started following the world skate site, Paola Fraschini, Silvia Stiblj were my inspirations. Currently, I am an avid follower of World Champion, Roberta Sasso.
The Asian roller-skating championship was your international debut. How did you prepare mentally for that stage?
It has been my dream since I was 8 to represent my country and perform on the international platform. Initially I was scared, but I told myself that it would be a dream come true to just perform well on that stage. Also, my Nani would make me say my prayers to calm me down. In the end, I am glad it all worked out.
What was going through your mind when you realised that you had won by such a big margin?
It was unbelievable. I just wanted to do my best and I did that. Winning gold for India was a dream I lived on that rink. Getting the Gold was a dream, but it was only after the medal ceremony when I reached back at the hotel and saw the scores, that it sunk in that I had won a Gold for my country with such a clear lead. It was immensely satisfying.
How did it feel to hear their national anthem after your victory?
I will always remember that moment. All the other countries got up for mine, while I was on the podium. I was so so happy, I was literally jumping inside.
Skating is physically demanding and artistically nuanced -- how do you train to master both aspects?
That's what I love about it. Skating is where I find freedom. To me, more than a sport it's my life, dancing with the wind in my hair.
My coach enrolled me for gymnastics, and I also took up Odissi as a dance form that I pursued for 6 years. I even dabbled in ballet for a couple of years.
You've excelled in math, science, and even drama. Do these achievements influence your skating in any way?
Yes and No. Yes, because each had their own struggles which made me more confident. And I am sure that helped skating and vice versa.
No, because these are really very different for one another, in fact because I do these other activities I get recharged for skating, and again its vice versa.
How do you balance the intense training schedule with your academic excellence?
It's tricky. And at times, you realise that no matter how hard you try, there are setbacks. And lot of times you end up giving one activity more time than the other. And later regretting it too. You don't have to get worked up about it.
The important thing is to keep going and thinking of the next step forward.
What skills from academics or other activities have helped you on the rink?
Solving a non-routine maths problem or a physics sum at times takes a couple of hours even, but the process of trying out different ways and untimely getting it is very satisfying.
When I get stuck with something at skating, I keep redoing it sometimes for days and when my coach says "good", its the same satisfying feeling.
What has been your toughest moment in skating so far, and how did you overcome it?
For two years post my debut on the national platform, I kept missing the Gold, no matter how hard I tried. I was even ready to give up. But then I couldn't imagine doing anything else if I gave up skating. So I decided to get it all back.
It took me two years. But it taught me that if I want it, I need to go and get it. No other thinking. My parents stood by me during this time.
What are the challenges you've faced in gaining recognition or support?
Skating is not that widely known, plus artistic skating is a niche part of skating. In my school, I had to literally show my videos to everyone to make them understand what the sport is all about.
Till date I explain it as 'Dance on skates', when actually it has so much more technicalities involved, I can't even begin explaining it.
We need a 50 metre by 25 metre skating rink, preferably a wooden floor. But in Mumbai, due to lack of space, I practice in the basement of the Prabhodhan Thackeray sports complex in Vile Parle (north west Mumbai). Sometimes, in the small outdoor terracotta rinks of gardens.
You are eyeing the Pacific Cup and World championships. What kind of training are you looking at to prepare for those challenges?
Next year, I will target the Pacific Cup. I need to train in Italy/Portugal. My Coach Ms Adesh Singh has planned to get me trained with some international coaches.
This year though, I need to concentrate on giving NEET 2026, as I want to pursue medicine and get into a good medical college in Mumbai.
What advice would you give young girls in India who want to pursue unconventional sports?
If you get the chance, just go for it and follow through.
Don't hold yourself back or hesitate, because the moment might not come again.
Sure, it might feel difficult, overwhelming, or even impossible at first, but that's only until you start.
Once you put your mind and heart into it, you'll realise it's always possible as long as you truly want it and are willing to put in the effort.