Small wonder: Payal Kumari Keshri. Pix: Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Sept. 11: Twelve-year-old Payal is different from other girls of her age.

For one, when she was just nine she decided that she wanted to be a gold medal-winning gymnast and she started to train herself for her dream. Since there were no gymnastics centres around her home she opted the next flexible route to her medal — through yoga.

With her dogged determination she has been pursuing her dreams for the past three years. Payal Kumari Keshri explains: “In 2005 when I was nine I watched a show on gymnastics on some sports channels or, maybe, on the National Geographic. Immediately, I knew that I wanted to be a gymnast, but as the city did not offer any facility for gymnastics I decided to learn yoga instead to keep myself flexible. And I have been practising ever since.”

Flexibility acquired through regular and arduous practice of yoga has also won her medals both at the national and state-level competitions. The medal-winning asana that made her famous recently — “ekpad janu sirasana” — is a tough one to pull off. But, she says it is not as hard as standing upon one’s head — one yoga move she finds really difficult.

The pre-teen girl ticks off all her favourites in “descending order”. They are “parsotittabhasana”, “ekpad dandimanesikandasana”, “sirsasana” and “baghyarasana”.

Though she admits that standing on the head may be tough, she says, in a matter-of-fact tone, that one day she will master that too.

In pursuit of her ambition, Payal devotes at least half-an-hour everyday at home. For proper guidance and to learn the right techniques she attends yoga classes held every Sunday by Nanda Dulal Dutta. Her yoga teacher at Manan School, Deepika Dutta, is also her guide.

Apart from the practice there is very little that she does extra to help “My yoga teachers have advised me to take light meals on competition days. Also, I make it a point to have my breakfast by 8.30am for practice sessions from 10am. Otherwise I follow no diet restrictions.”

To fulfil her gymnastics goal she is pinning her hopes on the 34th National Games. The facilities for gymnastics would be available in the capital because of the games.

Like most of the girls of her age, Payal loves to read and watch television. She admits that she is rather “hooked” on to the stories in the Panchtantra and history is her favourite subject.“After winning medals in gymnastics for my country and my state, I would like to become an airhostess. That’s my ultimate dream,” she said. Knowing her there may be no stopping her in that, too.