RANCHI: In high-altitude mountaineering, the area above 8000 meters is known as the death zone, where thin air can cause exhaustion or even death. That is why most climbers rely on supplemental oxygen. For Tejaswin Shankar, who crossed a different 8000-mark on Saturday, that oxygen came in the form of his wife Siddhi Hiray, sister Avantika, and strength and conditioning coach Wayne Lombard.
They kept him in good spirits, ensured he stayed relaxed, offered feedback between events, and provided all the required support he needed. "We just made sure that whenever he was near us, we cracked some jokes, shared some random Bollywood gossip, or played some music to lighten the mood," Avantika, who is an advocate, told TOI on the sidelines of the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition at Birsa Munda Stadium, Morabadi.
Siddhi, meanwhile, also had to wear the coach's hat as Tejaswin competed in 10 events over two days and accumulated a total of 8057 points — a first by an Indian, which also included personal bests in four events. To be able to do that, she has been shadowing Kip Janvrin, Tejaswin's coach in the US, and has also been doubling up as his part-time coach. But this time, as he attempted to qualify for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, they took a slightly different approach. "This time we went in with a different mindset. We didn't calculate scores. We just wanted to go with the flow," said Siddhi. "He had already achieved the qualifying mark in the US, but it was wind-assisted, so he wanted to hit the standard here. We didn't specifically come with the 8000-point mark in mind, but he managed it anyway, so the plan worked."
As Tejaswin said after his final race, he could not have done it without them. "It's a challenge not just physically, but mentally, too, because you're competing over two consecutive days. Emotionally, you're constantly going up and down," said the CWG bronze medallist in high jump. "I know how much I've given over these two days. Things happen — I'm not trying to justify being harsh — but that's when you need someone who can guide you, keep you in the right headspace, and support you with everything you need to achieve your goal," he added.
He went on to explain their role further, saying, "The idea is to keep me distracted in those crucial moments, because you can easily get caught up in your emotions. But you want to trust your muscle memory, and that's why the people around me are so important — they keep reminding me that I have it in me. At that point, it's about letting them take the pressure and just going out there and doing what I need to do."
Wayne, who has been working with Tejaswin since 2017, had the primary role to ensure he stayed "well-fuelled and properly recovered." "I focus on keeping him as fresh as possible from one event to the next, ensuring his nutrition, recovery, sleep, and overall preparation are all on point," said Lombard. But his role does not stop there, as he added that TJ has become like a friend and brother to him. "The key for me is simply to support him in whatever he needs. It's not always about performance or training; it's about being there for him. Even in an event like this, he knows he can bounce things off me. If he needs to vent or shout to release his frustration, I'm there for that too," he said.
With one milestone achieved, the focus now shifts to the CWG and whether he will compete in both the high jump and decathlon or just the latter. There is still plenty of time to take that call, but for now, Tejaswin will be more than happy to soak it all in with his team after two days of brilliance.
