One of the most iconic women athletes of track and field, Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha, was born in Payyoli, Kerala and went on to become India's 'Golden Girl'.
She is best known for her incredible run at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. As heart-breaking as missing out on an Olympic medal by a mere 1/100th of a second was, LA is often considered the coronation of India’s ‘queen of the track and field’.
Throughout her illustrious career, Usha has won 102 international medals, set several national record - she won 13 Gold medals in Asian Championships and a total of 33 International medals. She made her Summer Games debut at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and became India’s youngest Olympic sprinter at 16. Two years later at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, an 18-year-old Usha would sprint into millions of Indian hearts, winning two individual silver medals in the 100m and 200m races. She received the prestigious Arjuna Award and Padma Shree in 1984 for showing outstanding performance in sports. The next couple of years saw her dominate the Asian track and field stage – First up, the 1985 Asian Athletics Championships in Jakarta where Usha swept all four of her individual events (100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles) and bagged a gold in the 4x400m relay. She also took bronze in the 4x100m relay, a haul which remains unmatched in Indian athletics. In 1985, she was adjudged as the best women athlete at the Jakarta Asian Athlete meet. To add to her glory, in 1986 at the Seoul Asian Games, the Indian Olympic association awarded her with the Adidas Golden Shoe and named her the Sportsperson of the century. Usha announced her retirement in 1990, but not before adding to her legend with four golds and five silvers at the 1989 Asian Championships and 1990 Asian Games.
PT Usha started her all girls sports academy called Usha School of Athletics, in 2002 in Balussery, Kerala. She started this school with an aim to get an Olympic medal for the country. Since then, the academy has produced two Olympians and won 79 international medals to this day.
In November this year the 58-year-old added yet another feather to her cap. She was elected as the first woman President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).