U.K Shyam is the current national 100m record holder at 10.37s, a record which stands since 2001. What’s more striking is the circumstances under which he did it. Having come from a single-parent family, he grew up facing insecurity and lowered self-worth. He discovered his talent and found solace in track and field, which ironically also become his source of heartaches. Lacking funds and dealing with systemic challenges, he came to a point where he was ‘running on empty’, as his book title suggests. This led him to leave the sport, only to have circumstance change its mind briefly, and offer him a hand at the last hour.

On this episode, I’ve had the privilege to listen to Shyam recount his story. His vulnerability and candidness made for a very raw and real podcast. To what extend can we transcend our circumstances? Yes, he believes dreams and hard work are important, but also acknowledges the stronghold of bad hand.  Also, in his words, the bigger the dream, the finer the details need to be. A must listen if you’re pursuing a sporting dream or any dream for that matter.