At 18, Krishna Jayasankar left Chennai to prove herself.
Years later, she became the first Indian woman in shot put to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in track and field, one of the toughest stages in collegiate athletics.
The journey in between was not easy.
She moved across continents.
Balanced studies, work and training.
Battled injuries.
And missed Team India selection eight times.
Still, she kept going.
For Krishna, the breakthrough was bigger than a record.
It was proof that the risk she took years ago was worth it.
Who Is Krishna Jayasankar?
At 23, Krishna is emerging as one of India’s rising track and field athletes.
The Chennai-born shot put and discus thrower currently trains and studies in the United States while competing in collegiate athletics.
Her biggest breakthrough came when she became the first Indian woman to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in track and field, one of the toughest competitions in college athletics globally.
For Krishna, the achievement marked a major turning point in her journey.
What Is Her Family Background?
For Krishna, sport never felt separate from life.
She grew up in Chennai in a home where athletes, coaches and sporting conversations were part of everyday life.
Her mother, Prasanna, coached Southern Railways and also served as a selector for India’s national basketball teams. Her father, Jaishankar, organised sporting events alongside his banking career. Her sister was also a track and field athlete.
Krishna says their house constantly had players visiting, including names like Geethu Anna Jose and Anitha Pauldurai.
At the time, she did not realise she was growing up around some of India’s biggest sporting names.
But carrying the Jayasankar surname also came with expectations.
That eventually pushed Krishna to create an identity beyond her family’s basketball legacy.
Why Did She Choose Shot Put Instead Of Basketball?
Despite growing up around basketball, Krishna chose track and field.
She first discovered shot put in fifth grade after her physical education teacher, Thirumala Jyoti, asked her to attend practice.
Before that, Krishna had only watched athletes throw shot put and discus around her school grounds. To her, they looked powerful and strong.
But the moment she tried the sport herself, something clicked.
Krishna says throwing felt “unleashed”.
She describes shot put as a space where she could channel emotion, intensity and aggression.
Unlike basketball, this was not connected to her family’s legacy.
It became her own space. Her own identity.
That feeling stayed with her and eventually became one of the biggest reasons she remained committed to the sport through injuries, failures and setbacks.
Why Did Krishna Move Abroad?
At 18, Krishna left India to train abroad.
She first moved to Jamaica before eventually settling in the United States.
Krishna says she grew up protected at home and never had to think much about cooking, cleaning or living independently.
That changed quickly after moving abroad.
She describes Jamaica as the “trial version” of her life before the US.
It was where she learned survival instincts, independence and self-awareness.
Later in the US, her routine revolved around training, rehab, university classes and part-time work alongside graduate studies.
One of her earliest memories from El Paso, Texas, was feeling shocked by how isolated parts of the city felt compared to what she had imagined America would look like.
She also recalls sprinting back to her dorm late one night after getting frightened while walking alone across campus.
Today, she laughs about the incident, but says experiences like these made her mentally stronger and more alert.
For Krishna, moving abroad changed both her career and her perspective on life.
What Challenges Has She Faced?
Krishna says she missed Team India selection eight times before her breakthrough.
In 2024, injuries and coaching changes also affected her hopes of reaching the Paris Olympics.
That phase pushed Krishna to work on her mental resilience with a sports psychologist and rebuild her confidence.
On difficult days, she says she thinks about the younger version of herself who travelled nearly two hours across Chennai just to train and chase her dream.
Missing Paris 2024 due to injury also strengthened her focus on the 2028 Olympics, along with the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
Soon after, Krishna began breaking records and eventually became the first Indian woman to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in track and field.
How Did Sport Change Her Confidence?
Growing up in India, Krishna struggled with body image because of her muscular build as a throw athlete.
That changed after moving abroad, where she saw women with similar body types competing confidently and unapologetically.
The experience completely shifted how she viewed herself.
Krishna has spoken about learning to appreciate the same body she once struggled to accept.
She now says sport taught her resilience, self-belief and how to be unapologetically herself, even through injuries and painful recovery sessions.
Today, Krishna wants younger girls to embrace uniqueness instead of chasing unrealistic beauty standards.
She believes imperfections should not be treated as flaws and says people need to break the mental stigmas and barriers that stop them from accepting themselves.
What Does Krishna Want Next?
For Krishna, the dream is no longer just about medals.
Yes, Los Angeles 2028 remains a major goal.
But Krishna also wants to change conversations around confidence, beauty and individuality.
She says she wants to see herself on a billboard one day so young girls can look at it and feel seen instead of pressured to fit unrealistic standards.
Whether through sport, public speaking or philanthropy, Krishna says she wants to “make life more beautiful and more celebrated”.
She often describes herself in three words: “Fearless. Rebel. Fighter.”
And years from now, she hopes people remember her as someone who never gave up and kept creating space for other South Asian women too.
