19 Medals, 6 Gold. Eighteen Years of International Badminton and Counting | Ashwini Ponnappa

Ashwini Ponnppa is truly a Prodigy of Indian Badminton Doubles. She has been dominating the space of Womens Doubles and Mixed Doubles representing India worldwide. She's fierce, relentless, and an intense character on and off the court. Her learnings from her journey are so crucial for aspiring athletes. We talk about her beginnings, how her parents and environment have set her up for sports as a profession, her challenges to go big in badminton, her achievements, doubles partners, coaches, health and diet, and the most important aspect of her game, the mindset. The conversation was detailed and had a lot of passion. You'll love it. ..................................................................... All links to the Podcast: Youtube:    • 19 Medals, 6 Gold. Eighteen Years of Inter...   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/muefac36 Apple podcast: ...................................................................... Thanks for watching! This is Dilip, your host. You can connect with me at: Twitter:   / kmr_dilip   Linkedin:   / dilipevs   Instagram:   / kmr_dilip   My blog: https://www.dilipkumar.co Chapters: 00:00 Coming up 01:39 Introduction and Coorg Athletes 02:33 Ashwini's Early Sporting Life 04:06 Parental Influence and Support 11:50 Balancing Sports and Academics 17:08 Navigating Early Career Challenges 28:34 Navigating Menstrual Cycles in Sports 32:55 Choosing the Right Partner in Doubles 38:46 The 2010 Commonwealth Games Triumph 47:50 The 2012 London Olympics Controversy 51:02 The Dynamics of a Successful Badminton Pair 52:33 Managing Conflict in Doubles 53:38 Olympic Aspirations and Rankings 58:41 Fitness Routine and Training 01:03:18 Recovery Techniques and Technology in Training 01:15:10 Mental Health and Support Systems 01:27:12 Future of Badminton and Final Thoughts