Ranjita Behera: Snow Maiden Of Odisha

Ranjita Behera: Snow Maiden Of Odisha

Who could ever imagine that a girl from a tropical state like Odisha and that too from the Steel City of Rourkela will become the master of snow! Well, Odia girl Ranjita Behera has made the impossible possible. Recently, Ranjita became the first girl to represent Odisha in the Snow Skiing event. It was held as part of the second Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg from February 26.

Ranjita missed a position on the podium by a few seconds, but impressed everyone with her impeccable skiing skills and techniques. Even the Deputy Commandant and Head Coach of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Nanak Chand Thakur, offered to provide her training from veterans in the para-military force. After her rousing performance in the Khelo India Winter Games, she represented Odisha in the National Ski and Snowboard Championship in Uttarakhand.

She drew applause from Olympians such as Chuni Lal Thakur, Hira Lal Thakur and Nanak Chand Thakur and other athletes.

Adventure Sports

Ranjita also developed a keen interest in adventure sports when she was in Bhubaneswar preparing to join the Indian Army in 2015-16. This led her to undertake various adventure training courses. Ranjita is a trained mountaineer from Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports in Jammu and Kashmir and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVMAS) in Manali. She is the only girl from Odisha to have successfully taken the instructor course in skiing from ABVMAS.

She has successfully completed the Method of Instruction (MOI) courses in Mountaineering and Snow Skiing. She has completed the Trip India Leader and Wilderness First Responder course from the prestigious National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), USA having its training area in Indian Himalayas.

Talking about Ranjita, adventure sports mentor Sushant Das said, “I met Ranjita during the Himalayan Expedition in 2016. Her performance consistently improved through the three pre-expedition camps. Since then she has been in regular touch with me and we have tried to improve her skills and techniques through planning different courses. I suggested to her to do a course on wilderness medicine from NOLS and she did so. Getting through the screening process at NOLS is not easy but she got through because of her dedication and hard work.”

Explaining what has made Ranjita successful even though she belongs to a non-snow state like Odisha, Sushant said, “Since I cannot be with her in the field during these courses, it is all her effort and focus that has resulted in her success. Her biggest strength is that she loves the Himalayas, and if you have that kind of love for the mountains, they will embrace you as their own which is not possible for every individual.

One of the biggest assets of an athlete is the ability to self-assess and Ranjita knows exactly where she needs to improve and works towards with a single-minded determination. Because of her dedication and sincerity Ranjita has reached where she is today. Her interest has increased as time has passed. She has a lot of potential and she can do wonders with the right support.”

In March 2020 her instructor’s course was completed. After evaluating her skill level and performance she was selected for the national level and then she was selected for the Khelo India Winter Games.

High Praise

Tusharkanti Behera, Minister for Sports and Youth Services, congratulated Ranjita for success in future events. “It is a moment of pride for us that Ranjita Behera will be the first Odia from the state to participate in Snow Games. This is no small feat considering Odisha’s terrain and climate. With sheer grit and hard work, she has achieved this. Her dedication to be a skier is commendable and we will extend all necessary support to her to excel and win medals. She will be an inspiration for others, especially young girls, who may have dreams to follow the sport of skiing.”

Ranjita was one of the final team members of the first Biju Patnaik Himalayan Expedition in 2016 to Mt Rudugaira organized by the Sports Department. “My first trekking expedition to Mt Rudugaira with Bachendri Pal was a turning point in my life. 15 people participated in the expedition. 2 of us were forced to return back due to adverse weather conditions while we were just 500 feet away from the summit which was disappointing. That experience motivated me to propel further as I was so close to the summit but could not make it. I decided that this was not a failure and wanted to make it into my pillar of success,” she said.

Ranjita is an NCC ‘C’ Certificate holder. Her father, Raghunath Behera, a retired employee of Rourkela Steel Plant and her mother, a homemaker, have always supported her and want her to excel in adventure sports. She is the youngest of four sisters who are immensely proud of her for following her dreams. “Since my NCC days I was interested in joining the army. I came to Bhubaneswar to prepare for it. But during that time I discovered my liking for mountaineering. I got so involved in it that I started diverting towards mountaineering as I got to discover a new world,” she said about her interest in pursuing adventure sports.

Currently she is in Manali where she is training herself through cycling, running and paragliding.

Future Course

Talking about what lies ahead for her, Ranjita said, “Adventure sports is an expensive affair and currently I am covering the expenses through my parent’s support. I have given myself one year’s time to improve. If I cannot make it then I will have to decide otherwise. I want to follow my passion and move ahead but without sponsorships it is difficult for me. I have plans to undergo skiing training from Scandinavian countries as it will help me hone my skills better.”

She added, “My parents don’t want me to give up. They were initially a bit tense when I decided to pursue adventure sports instead of preparing for the army. Now that I am stable here and my performances have improved, they are completely supporting me. My guru Sushant Das and I have discussions regarding the courses that I do. He plans things well ahead before me finishing an ongoing course.”

Talking about what motivates her, she said, “Bachendri Pal has been a big inspiration for me. She always says that we are not competing against anyone but ourselves. So we should always try to win for ourselves. Life itself is a big adventure and we must always face it with determination.”