Vedant Sawant recently represented Australia at the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Paris and now has his eye on Olympic qualification.Psychiatrist emphasises the need for resilience among new migrants.
"Gymnastics is not so popular in India, so my mother had very little knowledge of it. But when I was 10, she enrolled me in a recreational gymnastics class," he said.After excelling in class, Mr Sawant went on to participate in championships at both the state and regional levels. "Some kids indulged in pranks and I got into fights. I faced incidents like having cleaning solution sprayed on my face, getting hit on my shaved head, and even found beef in my lunchbox, which was against my Hindu dietary belief," he said."It was the most difficult period of my life and I experienced mental anguish. I had no idea how to react to this situation," Mr Sawant said, while recalling three school suspensions in a year.
"This year again, after winning first place in regional, state and national I went to Paris for a World Championship where I was very close to making final and came 11th," Mr Sawant, who competed in theMr Sawant also enjoys an audience of more than 3,000 followers on his Instagram, where he consistently entertains his viewers with his adventures.