by Dr. Roli Shukul Thapar (11142)
Those in Tower 10 might have crossed paths with a quite polite teenager, she has an unassuming manner about her and you will not be able to gauge the extent of her mountain of achievements or her rock-solid commitment through her quite petite presence; & that is the purpose of this write up to introduce you to Zara Anand The Golfer Among Us!
Zara, is all of 14 and has already played Golf and represented her country across the world. Amongst her many laurels, the recent ones that stand out are National Games 2022(Zara represented Uttar Pradesh), Finished #1 at the Carnoustie Junior Open, Multiple WAGR wins, Runners-Up at IGU East India Ladies & Junior Girls Championship, Zara has also participated in R&A Girls Amateur Championships in Scotland and USA.
These achievements spectacular as they are stand on a work ethic that entails hours on the golf course every day come rain or shine(literally!), more hours in the gym committed to fitness, and every morsel of food being held accountable for the nutrition it puts in the body, basically every day, hour and minute planned and managed. The bedrock on which Zara stands is her parents Gaurika & Vivek and her coach Amit Dube. These three individuals have managed to sculpt Zara into the World class golfer she is evolving into over the past decade.
Zara’s first exposure to Golf was at the age of 4 when she would go to Siri Fort Auditorium to “hit balls”. The fact that her grandfather was an avid golfer also provided for the right atmosphere, with the family regularly enjoying chip & putt games. What started as just a way to keep a child engaged at a time when she wanted to chase turtles and not holes, build sand castles in bunkers and trampoline when it was time to play, evolved into a commitment that entails rising before sunrise day after day, many car meals, missed birthdays and hours spent building strength and stamina every day.
Zara continues to make a higher commitment to the game every day, taking it a notch higher than the day before; from choosing an alternate way of schooling to travelling extensively for exposure she is making all the right choices and backing them with hard work. While her consistency and commitment are remarkable what stands out is her ability to bounce back inspite of the inevitable lows. Indeed, the journey is the achievement because the prize is not what Zara will achieve for herself and her country someday, it is the person she has become today! We are proud of you Zara!
