From Barefoot runner to Asian podium: the story of Huidrom Bhumeshwari Devi

Huidrom Bhumeshwari Devi ran barefoot to keep her family going. Now she runs for an Olympic dream. Long before chasing dream, she faced a tragedy after her father died in 2012, prize money was the only source of income for her family. Her mother and two brothers in Huidrom Awang Leikai village of Manipur’s Imphal West district. Her determination is the only source that carry her in the journey to Olympics.

She entered her first competitive race a gruelling 19-kilometre inter-school event when she was in class 7. She finished second and won Rs 5,000, a moment that changed how she saw the sport. It wasn't just a medal or a mention in the school assembly; it was money that went straight into running the household. By the time she reached class 12, she was running for 21-kilometre half marathon, still without shoes, still running for both pride and survival.

she was consistent on her path to Olympic but her mother resisted, fearing for her health. The Huidrom Bhumeshwari said “My father had a heart condition, and she was afraid I might also suffer the same fate. I was also the thinnest, so she always worried about my health”. But she kept lacing up and running anyway, race after race, until the medals piling up did what words couldn't — they eased her mother's fears. Slowly, doubt gave way to belief, and her mother went from reluctant bystander to her biggest supporter.

Recently she showed her power as athlete and clinched bronze in 800m at Asian U-23 Championships in China’s Ordos. Despite this achievement, she said that "due to the current situation in Manipur, athletics in her state is not getting attention they deserve.” Bhumeshwari has trained under coach Kailas Kasara at SAI’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Imphal 2021. Her training came to a halt when ethnic violence broke out, and she had to leave the state. “I thought my career was over. I cried a lot. I knocked on every door for help, but nothing worked. I had little choice but to move to NCOE Bhopal. It felt like I was leaving my home behind. I stayed in Bhopal until the end of the year.”

What could easily have ended her career instead became a turning point. In 2024, Bhumeshwari moved to SAI Bengaluru, where she began training under Italian coach Claudio Panozza. It was here, away from home but found new momentumin her career a momentum that carried her all the way to that bronze medal in Ordos, won while she was going through a severe stomach pain caused by an ovarian cyst. "I couldn't perform at my best... Thankfully, the doctors have assured me that medication should be enough," she says. She also competed in the 1500m at the same championships, finishing the race but narrowly missing out on a medal there.

Ask her what next she answers quickly. Bhumbeshwari set on breaking the record of former Indian sprinter Tintu Luka in the 800m race. Beyond that she already eyeing a shift towards the 400m, chasing Hima Das’s national mark. Coach Pannozzo believes bigger milestones await. “Bhumi is an outgoing athlete who has the ability to channel pre-race tension into positive energy. She has enjoyed 2 years of continuous progress her 800m best time from 2 minutes 7.17 seconds to 2 minutes 4.44 seconds, he calls a major achievement in itself.

From running barefoot to fund her family, to standing on an Asian podium while nursing an injury she refused to let stop her, Bhumeshwari Devi's journey reads like a rebuttal to every excuse life handed her. For young women who see athletics as a way forward but treat every obstacle as a locked door, her story offers a different lesson that the door only stays shut if you stop pushing. she has never settled for less inspite of her state was going from brutal violence she stated with her dream to be in Olympic and now she will stand on that podium with other athletes. Bhumeshwari now her eyes are set on one goal The Olympics Los Angeles 2028.