The Gifted?

The two weeks of the Tokyo Olympics were nothing short of a rollercoaster ride and the baton has now been passed to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
In today’s episode, we wrap up our Olympic Series by talking about my learnings from the athletes from Tokyo. Being unapologetically yourself, your wins do not come at the cost of others' losses and respecting your opponents being a few of them.

All the athletes who were at Tokyo are living their #ZindagiUnlimited and, in the same spirit, this Olympics Special series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a #ZindagiUnlimited.

In today’s episode, to celebrate Neeraj Chopra's Gold Medal in Javelin Throw at the Tokyo Olympics, we try and understand what it takes to become an Olympic champion. To share what it means to win a gold medal at the Olympics, we have with us Lindsay Shoop, an Olympic Champion in Rowing. She talks about her experience of winning the gold medal, how the gold medal was way heavier than she expected it to be and how she found the motivation to continue excelling at her sport even after the high of winning an Olympic Gold Medal.

All the athletes at Tokyo are living their #ZindagiUnlimited and, in the same spirit, this Olympics Special series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a #ZindagiUnlimited.

In this episode, we are joined by a true legend of track and field sports in India, 4-time Olympian, Vikas Gowda. Vikas competes in the event of Discus Throw and other than being a 4-time Olympian, he is a Padma Shree Awardee and National record holder. Vikas and Niraj chat about what it takes to qualify for and compete at 4 Olympics and also how he approached each of the Summer Games. They also discuss Kamalpreet Kaur’s performance in Tokyo. They talk about how the sport could be advanced in India, with Vikas making some extremely interesting remarks. Niraj also mentions all the updates from the Tokyo Olympics.

All the athletes at Tokyo are living their #ZindagiUnlimited and, in the same spirit, this Olympics Special series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a #ZindagiUnlimited.

In today’s episode, we are joined by a Track and Field athlete who competes in the event of High Jump - Sahana Kumari. Sahana ma’am represented India at the London Olympics and is also the current National Record holder. We talk about the internal and external challenges that she had to overcome in order to qualify for the Olympics. We also discuss what is needed to produce more track and field athletes from India and how her daughter has already started following in her footsteps.

Along with this, Niraj updates us about the Tokyo Olympics.

All the athletes at Tokyo are living their #ZindagiUnlimited and, in the same spirit, this Olympics Special series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a #ZindagiUnlimited.

In today’s episode, we are joined by Indian Olympian swimmer, Hakimuddin Habibulla. Hakim is a swimmer who competed at the Sydney Olympics in the Men’s 200m freestyle event. We talk about what barriers he had to overcome to qualify for the Olympics, what it means to represent India at the Olympics, especially in a sport that’s often lost in obscurity in India. He puts forth the steps that India needs to take to progress in the sport of swimming. We also talk about the Indian swimmer’s performance in Tokyo so far.

Apart from this, Niraj will be looking at highlights of other sports from Tokyo so far.

All the athletes at Tokyo are living their #ZindagiUnlimited and, in the same spirit, this Olympics Special series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a #ZindagiUnlimited.

In today’s episode, we’ll be talking about India’s performance at the Tokyo Olympics so far. We are also joined by Indian Olympian in pistol shooting, Prakash Nanjappa. Prakash competed at the Rio Olympics and is also an Arjuna Awardee. Other than discussing the Indian shooting team's performance at the Olympics so far, we also discuss what it takes and means to be an Olympian and competing with the best of the best. He also sheds light on how he overcame the limitation of a paralytic attack in his life and went onto lead an unlimited life.

And, in the spirit of a limitless life, this Special Olympics series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a life unlimited.

To mark the Opening Ceremony day of the Tokyo Olympics, we're announcing our Olympics Special series. In this series, we'll be joined by past and present olympians who will shed light on the journey to competing at the grandest stage in the world of sports - The Olympics, as we learn what it takes to overcome your fears and inhibitions and lead a life that's limitless.

In this episode, apart from highlighting some of India's Olympic Medal hopefuls, we also had the opportunity to host India's Skeet shooter, Mairaj Ahmad Khan. He is an Olympian, 7 times National Champion, World Cup medalist, Asian medalist, and is currently in Tokyo.

And, in the spirit of a limitless life, this Special Olympics series is brought to you by Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance, that perfectly embodies the notion of a life unlimited.

In today’s episode, Niraj welcomes Canada’s skeleton athlete - Cassie Hawrysh. Cassie has had a very colorful and unique route to finding skeleton. She grew up competing in volleyball, then transitioned to heptathlon and then to discovering, almost by chance, skeleton. Cassie and Niraj talk about her meteoric rise in the sport, winning medals in the first 2-3 years at the World Cups and also what constitutes an ideal skeleton racer. They also dwell on what it means to be named as an alternate for the Olympics and how do so many athletes navigate that phase of their career.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In today’s episode, we have our first-ever international Ice Hockey player - Doug Lynch. Doug started playing Ice Hockey at the age of 3 and won his first junior league at the age of 18, which is when he also got drafted into the NHL. After fulfilling his dream of playing in the NHL, albeit a very short stint, Doug moved base to Austria, where we played for EC Red Bull Salzburg, where we won three championships in 6 years. Niraj and Doug also discussed his latest venture, Zenkai Sports, which is also our sponsor.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount on your entire order.

In today’s episode, we welcome Ajax Amsterdam’s Goal Keeper, Nick Hengelman. Nick has had a very interesting career that has seen him play across multiple divisions in the Netherlands as well as a stint with Ajax’s sister club Ajax Cape Town. Nick and Niraj discuss his journey to turning pro despite starting relatively late. Nick also candidly sheds light on what kind of a perspective you need to have to be in the reserves or on the bench at a big club and still continue to approach the game with the right kind of a mindset, always bringing your best to the training ground and being patient for your chance to play. 

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order.

In today’s episode, we have with us triple olympian, and an olympic record holder in rowing - Sally Callie. Sally and Niraj talk about how rowing found her, instead of the other way round. They also discuss how Sally dealt with not one but two 4th place finishes at the Olympics, narrowly missing out on medals. Sally also reflects on getting diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain malformation and how she relied on her ‘athlete mindset’ to recover from the illness.She also talks about her principles of GOLD - G for Gratitude, O for Obstacles as opportunities, L for Lead from within and D for daily habits determining our future. She’s not teaching the principles, she is living them and showing us that it works.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In today’s episode, we have United States’ winter Olympian - Rebekah Bradford. Rebekah is a speedskater who competed at the 2010 Vancouver Games in the 1,000 meters distance. Rebekah and Niraj discuss her qualification to the Olympics - the skate that is a folklore in the US speed skating circuit. Rebekah also reflects on how she accidentally found her faith that she believes has allowed her to perform better as an athlete and fulfill her dream of becoming an Olympian, the dream that she had since she was 5.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In today’s episode, Niraj welcomes Olympian Siona Fernandes. Siona is of Indian-origin and represented New Zealand at the London Olympics in the sport of Boxing. Siona and Niraj discuss what was it like growing up in Goa while playing multiple sports and also how her dancing career of 17 years helped her with Boxing. She reflects on moving to New Zealand at 24, picking up boxing at 27 and taking the boxing world by storm as she rose to world #11 within a year. They also talk about solitude and spirituality and how she depends on it heavily to train mentally for such a gruesome sport.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In today's episode, Niraj welcomes this show's first ever professional footballer as a guest. It is PSG Women's Goal Keeper, Arianna Criscione. Arianna has one of the most unique profiles in football, as she has two parallel contracts with PSG, one as a goal keeper and another one as a sponsorship manager. In this episode, they talk about Arianna's successful career across multiple countries and how it could all culminate in a fairytale ending for her career on Friday, 4th June, 2021 when PSG take on Dijon and could win their first league title ever with a win.

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In this episode, Niraj welcomes Great Britain’s Olympian, Stewart Innes. Stewart and Niraj discuss how he came through a tough group of rowers and got selected to race at the Rio Olympics, where he finished fourth and narrowly missed out on a medal. Stewart also reflects on the injury setback he had after Rio and how that paved way for what he considers his biggest accomplishment - overcoming his injury to compete again. Stewart also shares how the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 forced him into early retirement and how he has since transitioned to working on his new venture, The Athlete Mindset (https://www.theathletemindset.co.uk/).

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Zenkai Sports Partnership - "The Gifted?" is now sponsored by Zenkai Sports, the new disruptor in the performance apparel world. Zenkai utilises a brand-new technology that repels liquids, keeping you cooler during intense activity as the sweat evaporates naturally off your skin. This allows you to regulate body temperature easily and push yourself harder as Zenkai clothing harnesses the power of your sweat. Sweat is our friend, keep it on you! Zenkai Sports is also the only performance apparel company that is cotton-based. All of their gear is over 65% cotton with some pieces over 95%. Cotton is bio-degradable, feels great against your skin and is much better for our environment than synthetic-based apparel. Please go to www.zenkaisports.com to check out their cool range of products that can give you that extra boost in your performance, and while you are at it, use the code TGP20 for a 20% discount off your entire order. You can also find all these details in our show notes of this episode, so don’t forget to check it out.

In today’s episode, Niraj chats with Olympian Goran Nava! Goran is a middle-distance runner who represented Serbia at the Beijing Olympics in the 1500 meter track and field event. Niraj and Goran go back to the year 2007, a year before the Beijing Olympics, when Goran had been a corporate employee for 2 good years and suddenly decided to pursue his dream of becoming an Olympian. And what crazy chain of events that set off, leading him to qualify for the Olympics by a margin of 0.17 seconds. They discuss that success is about being able to go after what you really want, and not just taking home a medal. Goran also mentions 4 important elements to achieve success: Courage, Persistence, Ambition, and Sacrifice.

In today’s episode, Niraj has the honour of welcoming current world #1 pistol shooter - Zorana Arunović. Zorana is a double world champion, current world record holder in 10m Air Pistol, and has countless medals from World Cups and World & European Championships. Zorana and Niraj discuss the factors behind her consistent and unparalleled success and what has enabled her to be at the top of her sport for so many years. Zorana also reflects on her experience of narrowly missing out on a medal by finishing 4th at the London Olympics. They also discuss Zorana’s ambitions and preparations for the Tokyo Olympics.

Niraj welcomes America’s one of the best Triathletes - Jarrod Shoemaker. He is the International Triathlon Union’s U23 World Champion, World Cup silver medallist and America’s best-ranked Triathlete for much of his career. Jarrod and Niraj discuss his transition from being just a runner to becoming an Olympic triathlete, his experience at the Beijing Olympics, and his post-retirement ambitions with Adventure Racing. Jarrod also reflects on his life motto - “To Be The Best Me I Can Be”, and how that has driven him throughout his career in endurance sports.

In this episode, Niraj welcomes Latvian Olympian Pauls Pujats. Since Pauls is the first pole vaulter on the podcast, Niraj tries to understand the sport first-hand from Pauls - the basics of the sport and what constitutes an ideal pole vaulter - physically as well as mentally. Pauls also reflects on how he fulfilled his dream of getting to the Olympics when he competed at the Rio Olympics and how he has been using alternative techniques like yoga, meditation and martial arts to give him an extra edge over the competition.

Niraj chats with Olympian Alejandro Gomez! Alejandro and Niraj discuss how he was practically born in the water with his mother being an Olympic swimmer and his father, a water-polo athlete. They reflect on what it means to be a generational Olympian, having access to values of an Olympian right in the family and the influences it has while growing up. Alejandro also discusses his lows of missing out on the Beijing Olympics and the highs of qualifying for the London Olympics, and his aspirations of giving back to the sport and travelling the world.

Niraj chats with 3-time Olympian and ex-world #7 Alpine ski racer - Ana Jelušić! Ana and Niraj discuss what's it like to start the sport at the age of 2, becoming an Olympian at the age of 15, and becoming a three-time Olympian by the age of 24. Ana and Niraj also engage in the age-old debate of early specialisation vs late specialisation in sport. Ana reflects on having to cut her career short because of asthma-forced retirement at the age of 24, and then smoothly transitioning from sports to corporate life, something that many athletes struggle with. 

Niraj chats with middle-distance runner Olympian Brigita Langerholc! Niraj and Brigita discuss how Brigita used the power of visualisation to exceed her coach's expectations at the Sydney Olympics, and finished 4th in the finals, narrowly missing out on a medal. Brigita also reflects on overcoming severe asthma as a kid to become a runner, competing as a woman in Slovenia at that time, and her struggles with post-retirement depression. She also sheds light on how she used Yoga & Meditation to overcome depression and how she's teaching these powerful techniques to aspiring athletes.

Niraj chats with 2018 Winter Olympian - Anthony Watson! Anthony and Niraj discuss how an injury prevented a potentially successful Track & Field career for Anthony, and how his quest to be Olympian led him to the sport of Skeleton. Anthony also reflects on treading a fine line of competing in an expensive sport vs putting food on the table, his roller-coaster ride to qualify for the Olympics, setting history as the first-ever Jamaican to participate in the sport of Skeleton in a Winter Olympics, and his aspirations to now become the first-ever Puerto Rican to participate in Skeleton at a Winter Olympics.

Niraj chats with former world #1 triple jump athlete - Willie Banks! Niraj & Willie discuss how he picked up the sport of triple jump, the USA's decision to boycott the 1980 Olympics when Willie was at the top of his game, and missing out on medals in his next two Olympics. Willie also speaks on how the rhythmic clap was accidentally born and how he knew before his jump that he was going to break the world record in his next jump. A world record that he held for over a decade.

A new sports podcast by Niraj Mulani, premiering on Wednesday, March 17 2021. "The Gifted?" is a weekly podcast where I speak to elite athletes as I try and understand what it truly takes and means to be an athlete. All done with the purpose of debunking the myth that athletes are just some people who are gifted with special talent at birth. If you are an aspiring athlete, or, a casual sports fan, you’ll enjoy "The Gifted?".