Olympian Anju Bobby George recently opened up about the fact that she competed at the highest level with only one kidney. She made history for India when she claimed bronze at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris, a feat she achieved despite battling health issues and a complete allergy to common painkillers.
India’s Olympian Anju Bobby George has revealed she achieved success at the top level with a kidney. Anju created history in Indian athletics by winning a bronze medal at the 2003 World Athletics Championships in Paris. Anju said that she was allergic to even painkillers and despite all such obstacles she managed to achieve success.
Adding to her legacy, Anju won gold in the long jump at the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Finals in Monaco. She later shared on Twitter that she considers herself incredibly lucky to have succeeded despite her physical limitations. From dealing with a malfunctioning lead leg at the start of races to her medical restrictions, her path was far from easy. She often wonders if her success was due to her own drive or the exceptional coaching of her husband, Robert Bobby George, who helped her reach new heights.
Anju explained that she chose to go public with her story to encourage the current generation of athletes. With the pandemic causing widespread cancellations of events and making regular practice nearly impossible, she wanted to offer them a source of inspiration.
Speaking with PTI, Anju noted that while the public often assumes she had a naturally perfect athletic build, the reality is that she had to fight through significant adversity. She hopes her story will empower future sports stars. Recalling a critical moment, she mentioned that just 20 days before the 2003 World Championships in Paris, doctors in Germany had actually advised her to take a full six months of bed rest.
Despite those dire medical warnings, she pushed forward and managed to win her medal. The truth about her condition came to light back in 2001 during a medical check-up in Bangalore, just as she was starting her international career, when tests revealed she only had one healthy kidney.
While the news was devastating at first, her husband, Bobby, became her primary source of strength, encouraging her to keep chasing her dreams. His devotion was so absolute that he even offered to donate his own kidney to her if it ever became necessary.
Reflecting on the experience, Anju said she has grown emotionally and physically mature enough to handle her health challenges. She admitted that if she had revealed her condition earlier in her career, the public perception and the pressures she faced might have been entirely different.