Manu Bhaker on Olympics, Pressure, Mental Strength & Shooting | Jatin Sapru | Like An Athlete

In this episode of Like An Athlete by Humans of Bombay, Jatin Sapru joins Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker for a fascinating deep dive into the world of competitive shooting — a sport where precision, patience, and mental strength matter more than anything else. Manu opens up about what truly happens behind the gun — where the outside world disappears and only breath, focus, and rhythm remain. She explains the science behind controlling heart rate, breathing techniques, and the intense mental discipline required to hit a target just 10 meters away but only millimeters wide. She also reflects on the darker moments of her journey — the Tokyo Olympic heartbreak, the loss of confidence that followed, and how anxiety and self-doubt nearly pushed her away from the sport she loved. Manu shares how stepping away, reconnecting with life outside shooting, and rediscovering joy helped her rebuild her confidence and eventually return stronger. The conversation also explores her Olympic-winning pistol, training routines, diet discipline, and the mindset required to compete at the highest level, along with heartwarming moments featuring her mother and the support system behind every champion. This episode offers a rare look at the psychology of elite athletes, the pressures of representing a nation, and the resilience required to come back after failure. #ManuBhaker #LikeAnAthlete #HumansOfBombay #JatinSapru #Olympics #OlympicMedalist #Shooting #IndianAthletes #SportsPodcast #Mindset #MentalStrength #OlympicJourney #Podcast 00:00 Precap 02:06 Intro 04:01 Winning Two Medals for India 06:06 Inside Manu’s Olympic Pistol 11:36 Shooting Masterclass with Manu Bhaker 14:08 Handling Nerves in Olympic Finals 20:15 Breathing, Heart Rate & Mental Focus 21:59 Tokyo Olympics Setback 25:07 Finding Joy in Shooting Again 30:18 Life After Becoming an Olympic Star 32:38 Controlling the Mind During Competition 37:01 Diet, Discipline & Athlete Routine 43:15 Message for Parents & Young Athletes 44:00 Outro Credits: DOP- Romit Majumdar Social Media Executive- Aabha Thumbnail Designer- Bhavesh Kumbhar Links: Humans of Bombay Instagram:   / officialhumansofbombay   Uncovered by Humans of Bombay:    / @humansofbombayuncovered   LinkedIn:   / humans-of-bombay   Manu Bhaker Instagram:   / bhakermanu   Jatin Sapru Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jatin_sapru... Karishma Mehta Instagram:   / karimehta05   LinkedIn:   / karishma-mehta-b22151174   About Humans of Bombay – Humans of Bombay is a movement that started 12 years ago. We believe that every person has a story to tell and we want to help them tell these stories. In these years we’ve published stories across genres – stories of love, hope, faith, and courage. And through our storytelling, we’ve built an engaged community of over 6M! Our idea is simple – to strike a chord with our community and catalog the beat of humanity, one story at a time.