Diagnosed with epilepsy at 19, national sprinter Devaki Dhar rebuilt her training routine to break an eight-year personal best.
Sport has been part of Devaki Dhar’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up, she dabbled in everything from basketball to football—anything that involved running fast and competing hard. Athletics, however, was never part of a grand plan. In fact, her first 100-metre race at a school sports day ended with her finishing sixth out of seven competitors—hardly a promising start. Yet, instead of walking away, she joined an athletics academy simply to give it a try. One session turned into another, and soon she found herself competing in inter-school meets. That was when track and field began to feel different. She loved racing, loved the process of showing up, and loved the quiet determination of wanting to return and do better next time. What truly drew her to athletics was how she felt on the track—everything else faded away, replaced by focus, calm, and a deep sense of familiarity. It felt natural, like she had found where she belonged.
Today, her training routine is shaped by balance and awareness. Since her diagnosis with epilepsy, managing rest and recovery has become central to her preparation, helping her avoid triggering episodes. Her schedule changes depending on her competition calendar, but at present she trains from Monday to Sunday, alternating between track sessions and strength work to keep the overall load manageable. Discipline, for Devaki, no longer means relentless pushing—it simply means showing up, especially on days when both her mind and body urge her to stop.
Learning to balance ambition with self-care has been one of her biggest lessons. At first, she resisted the limitations that came with her condition, but over time, she has learned to respect them. While pushing her limits remains part of her identity as an athlete, so does knowing when to step back. She understands now that training hard holds little value without proper recovery. For her, recovery is non-negotiable—this includes eating nutritious meals, maintaining consistent protein intake and supplements, prioritising sleep, getting regular massages, and closely monitoring how her body responds to training. Listening to her body, she believes, is not a weakness but the very reason she can continue to move forward safely.
One training habit that has made the biggest difference to her performance is understanding load management. Earlier, she prioritised track sessions and treated strength training as optional, something to skip when tired or pressed for time. Over time, she realised its true importance. Consistency with strength work has helped her manage training loads more effectively and extract greater benefit from her track sessions.
To young girls dreaming of becoming professional athletes, Devaki offers heartfelt advice: never let anyone tell you that you cannot do it. You do not need to feel ready, fearless, or completely confident—you simply need to keep trying. Even when progress feels slow, even when things feel messy, and even when the dream seems far away, showing up matters. Stay in the journey long enough, she says, and one day you may realise you have become everything you once hoped to be.
If she could change one perception about women in sport, it would be the belief that women must justify their desire to play. Wanting to participate should be reason enough. Society often assumes that when a woman chooses sport, she is giving something up, but in reality, for many women, sport gives them everything.
On days when motivation runs low, Devaki draws strength from the 12-year-old version of herself who first stepped onto the track. That young girl, full of curiosity and courage, remains her greatest source of inspiration—and the reason she continues to show up, no matter how challenging the journey becomes.
Rapid Fire
Morning workout or evening training?
Morning workouts — even though I’m not a morning person. I love how it sets the tone for the rest of my day.
Strength or endurance?
endurance, so strength
One pre-competition ritual:
funny, but I actually stare at my spikes the night before and picture the race before it actually begins.
A sportsperson you admire:
Milkha Singh — I was lucky enough to meet him, and he once told me that showing up on the days you feel broken is a victory in itself. I’ve carried that with me ever since.
One word that defines your journey:
COMEBACK.