When you hear of it first, the combination of athletics and poetry sounds a bit uncanny. But when you hear the words of Bhawna Jaiswal, you start believing that with a little bit of effort and an extra push, you can figure out how you can navigate pursuing every single thing that you like.
A champion athlete in the long jump, and an eloquent poetess with almost 180k loyal listeners, Bhawna Jaiswal, has words that sound like music to your ears and a lifestyle that can quickly motivate you to break glass ceilings.
IcyTales was in a conversation with Bhawna Jaiswal, the emerging athlete who is also an up-and-coming poetess.
Q) You’re both an athlete and a poet; do you think there is something common between the two?
Bhawna Jaiswal – According to me, poetry is a way of life. It is my passion, and I cannot think to live without it. When I write something, especially something inspirational, it helps me inculcate that into my athletics. So that’s how I connect both of them.
Q) What did you get into first – sports or poetry? And what drove you towards both of them?
Bhawna Jaiswal – I would say sports. I was hugely inspired by my seniors in school, who were doing great in their respective choice of sports. I saw them going to state levels, national, and even international. I witnessed and realized how proud that makes your school, parents, and country. And that just made me think, “Why can’t I do this?”
I had a good height, and many people believed that I could get into sports. I started in 8th grade, and I chose the long jump as my event. My P.T. teacher saw me and said that you could do it, and if you put some work into it, it will take you to great levels. I worked very hard; I wanted to represent my school, got chosen to be a part of a competition, and won a medal.
Poetry was something that I got into during the pandemic when we all were under lockdown. I never knew that people would like my poems so much, and they would shower me with so much love. All of us had nothing to do, and I chose to write. Today I’m able to be here to talk to you; just because of them, I’m very thankful for them.
Q) Tell us about your most significant athletic achievement to date.
Bhawna Jaiswal- I’m a 5-time state medalist and state champion. I represented my state at the national level, and I am a west-zone national medalist. I’m going to also represent my university at the All India Women’s University Games, which will be held in Bhubaneshwar.
Q) Is there some milestone you have or wish to achieve in the field of poetry?
Bhawna Jaiswal – I used to listen to Kumar Vishwas a lot. I would love to speak to him and hear him in person. I want to see how he manages to speak so fluently and so confidently in front of many people. His words are like music to your ears, and you just flow in them. I hear Ekta Sandhir, who’s also an Instagram influence, and Priya Malik. I want to meet all these poets, talk to them and see what they are made of. Their level of excellence is what I wish to achieve.
Q) What athletes and poets inspire you the most?
Bhawna Jaiswal – In athletes, I would like to say Ivana Spanovic. I love watching her and how she manages to do so well in competitions and her workouts. In India, I like Ankit Sharma. He represented India in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
I’m really inspired by Kumar Vishwas, Ekta Malik, and all in poetry.
Q) What does a typical day look like for you as an athlete in the long jump?
Bhawna Jaiswal – The name of my coach is Mr. Amit Gautam, and I love working out under him. He’s always behaved like a father to me, and he’s a fantastic coach, the best one in India, in my opinion. So I get up at 6 in the morning, and from 6:30, my warm-up starts, and my morning workout schedule ends at nine. When I come back home, my mother keeps my breakfast ready. I sleep sometimes, or else I attend my online classes.
And then I have my training again from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. Then I get back home, freshen up, have my dinner, and study or read some books. Or else I just chit-chat with my mother, which, by the way, is my favorite part of the day. If I have something to share, I just talk to my friends. And then I sleep at around 10:30 pm.
Q) Since all the training and workout you do must be exhausting, do you think poetry is a place you relax?
Bhawna Jaiswal – I feel like you pour your heart out when you’re writing. And when the thoughts going on in your head come out, you’re able to make better sense of them. You read what you write, and then you can better understand what you’re feeling in the moment. I feel like myself when I write, and that’s why I love it.
Q) Who motivates and supports you the most for both of the avenues you’re in?
Bhawna Jaiswal – It’s my mother. She’s my biggest supporter and my best friend. She never lets me down or allows me to feel like I can’t do something, or I’m allowed to give up. She is like, “You are not allowed to give up; you are not born to give up. You are born to do great stuff.” She makes me feel unique, and I’m born to do something extraordinary.
She’s the person who motivates me and supports me the most. The best part of her motivation is that sometimes I don’t feel like waking up in the morning or following my schedule. And then she comes up to me and says, “This is the time you have to push yourself. This is the time you have to carry on. When you don’t feel like getting up, this is the time you have to do it.
Q) What are your poems influenced by life experiences or just general things you come across?
Bhawna Jaiswal – Most of the poems I post in the form of reels, in the beginning, are based on my life- what I had experienced and what I went through. And then some of them are poems that I read, and I like, and I want those words to have my voice. Some of them are also from my fans who send me these words.
Q) You have written many poems; which one will you pick up today to motivate yourself? And the reason for your choice?
Bhawna Jaiswal – I would choose:
“Aaj tum tumhare saath ho
bas wohi kafi hain.
Jeevan mein thode pal to mile hain
baaki sab mafi hain.
Galti karne se nahi
dohrane se daro.
Aur jo cheez tumhare liye nahi hain
usse chhodo aur aage badho.”
(Today, you are with yourself, and that’s enough. Life only has a few moments; everything else is forgiven. Be scared of repeating mistakes, not making them. And leave what is not for you, and move on.)
I chose this because humans are bound to make errors and mistakes throughout their life. But you can’t hang on them or cry over them your entire life. You have to move on. And the best part is, when you stand with yourself, no one can stand against you. You are your biggest power, and you should stand with yourself, whatever your situation may be. In the world that we are living in, we are the only ones with ourselves.
Bhawna Jaiswal is a hardworking girl with immense talent. The athlete not only makes her near and dear ones proud but is an inspiration for many. Whenever you are looking for content to calm you down or even some workout motivation, head over to Bhawna Jaiswal’s Instagram page, and you will not be disappointed.
Last Updated on by ritukhare
