From footpaths to world records, Janvi Jindal and her freestyle skating journey is a story of grit, grace, and an unbreakable father–daughter partnership.
In a country where world-class training facilities are often seen as a prerequisite for sporting success, Janvi Jindal quietly rewrote the rulebook. Learning freestyle skating on footpaths, in parks, and through countless online videos—guided by a father who didn’t even skate—Janvi built excellence with discipline, elegance, and relentless self-belief.
In this candid conversation, Janvi Jindal opens up about her unconventional training, the art behind her skating, and the mindset that helped her turn every hurdle into an opportunity.
What first drew you to skating — and how did you go from experimenting on footpaths to chasing world records?
Looking at my adventurous and fearless nature, my dad felt freestyle skating would be perfect for me. The very first time I put on skates, I balanced without a hitch. My learning began on footpaths, in parks—literally anywhere I could find space. I was taught to treat skates as naturally as my everyday shoes.
With no coach available in our area, the internet became our teacher. We watched the world’s best freestyle skaters online and unknowingly assumed that was the level one needed to even compete at Nationals. Training with the mindset of competing against global champions eventually helped me become a National Champion in my maiden run.
Soon, however, we realised that learning the basics and reaching 90% perfection is far easier than pushing from 90% to 100%. At that stage, every 1% improvement feels like 100% of the earlier effort. My dad felt helpless because I had reached a level where very specific, in-person guidance was required—and he himself didn’t skate.
International training was explored, but the costs ran into several lakhs and required multiple trips, which wasn’t practical for us. For six years, I’ve been eligible to represent India internationally, but my dad believed I should compete only when I was truly ready in every aspect.
When the dream of international training seemed out of reach, we chose not to let it break us. Instead, we found opportunity in the hurdle. That’s when the idea struck: becoming a World Champion isn’t the only way to prove excellence. Guinness World Records offered another path—one that could be pursued right here in India.
Turning hurdles into opportunities has been one of the biggest lessons of my skating journey.
You learned freestyle skating largely on your own, with support from your father and online tutorials. What were the biggest challenges early on, and how did you stay motivated?
Once freestyle skating was finalised, we discovered there was no coach for this sport anywhere near us. That’s when my dad made an extraordinary decision—he would learn everything himself, online, from scratch.
The real challenges were faced by him. Understanding a highly technical, physical sport through online tutorials is difficult for anyone—imagine doing it when you don’t even know how to skate. Freestyle skating doesn’t have a structured course or a proper training series. You have to dig through hundreds of scattered videos, forums, articles, and interviews to understand the logic behind every trick, movement, and transition.
Balancing work, home, and me was the toughest part. My dad would return from the office around 7 pm and take me straight to training. He’d watch me skate, identify mistakes, come home, study more videos, and learn new techniques so he could correct me the next day. Most nights, he slept at 1–2 am just to stay one step ahead of my learning.
I gave my best, too. I never hesitated to train, never made excuses, and never complained—even after painful falls. This shared dedication and commitment kept us motivated to push beyond every limitation.
Your skating blends athletic skill with creativity, like dance and unique tricks. Where does that fusion come from, and how do you create new routines?
I love dance. I love elegance—that’s who I am. My dad, on the other hand, believes in absolute perfection. He never allowed me to learn a new variation until I had mastered the earlier one—and mastered it with elegance. That combination of his insistence on perfection and my love for style shaped my skating.
I started wearing my skates everywhere—shopping, malls, and evening walks. The idea was to handle natural obstacles—steps, slopes, corners, uneven surfaces—as effortlessly as people do in regular shoes. This made my balance rock-solid and my control extremely sharp.
Being Punjabi, Bhangra was already in my blood. Once skating reached a certain level of perfection, merging the two felt natural. Yoga was later added, which further refined my control, flexibility, and confidence.
Routines don’t come from planning—they flow naturally. Interestingly, when Bhangra on Skates went viral, it overshadowed another achievement I personally found more challenging—rolling downstairs on skates, something no one in India had done at the time. Media narratives take their own course, but every milestone has its own story.
With multiple records and national titles, how do you balance training, studies, and personal life without burning out?
Looking back, it wasn’t as hard as it once felt. My dad is strict—but in the most constructive way. He never allowed excuses, in skating or in life. My studies were always my responsibility. He guided me on how to manage time, but the effort was always mine.
I’ve learned practical time management and how to make the most of every hour. Yes, I sometimes miss just being a normal teenager, but that’s not due to restrictions. I have complete freedom. Discipline and routines often take priority.
That said, I do spend time with friends and relax—but not unnecessarily. Interestingly, my friends respect my boundaries and commitments, which keeps me grounded.
What are your next big goals—personally and for skating in India—and how do you hope to inspire young girls?
Personally, I’m open to wherever life takes me. I definitely want international training—with sponsorship support. I want to show the world that freestyle skating, once considered a Western-dominated sport, is now being challenged by Indians. A six-time World Champion even agreed to train me, but a lack of funds held me back.
For skating in India, my dream is to spread a positive vibe among young athletes. Through my videos, I hope to inspire youngsters who love skating. I’ll continue pushing myself and motivating Indian kids to make skating a prominent sport in our country.
I never realised I was inspiring others until I looked at my journey from another person’s perspective. Just as my father was inspired by Dangal and Mahavir Singh Phogat’s journey, I hope my story motivates Indian parents and children in the same way.
From the bottom of my heart, I feel I represent the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat—showing that even without infrastructure or financial backing, but with determination and a simple smartphone, history can be rewritten. If my journey reaches families in the right way, I believe many new Janvis will emerge across India.