From dusty fields to Asia’s best
"I will not stop until I wear an Olympic medal around by neck" - Tharushi Abhisheka.
In a dusty little village deep inside the heart of Dambulla, a girl with a quiet smile and a lion’s heart is running her way into Sri Lankan sporting history. Nicknamed ‘Podi (junior) Tharushi’ by her fans, 17-year-old Tharushi Abhisheka is proving that even from the humblest beginnings, great dreams can take flight.
Last week, she brought home a gold medal from the 6th Asian Youth Athletic Championships held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. She won the 800m Girls’ final and also helped her team win a silver medal in the 4x400m relay — setting a new National Youth Record in the process.
With her golden run, Tharushi became the only Sri Lankan athlete to top the podium at this year’s meet — where 48 nations competed. Thanks to her and her teammates, Sri Lanka finished ninth in the gold tally and a stunning fourth overall with eight medals — the country’s best-ever performance in this series.
“My dream is to win an Olympic medal”
“My dream is not just to run. I want to carry my country’s flag at the Olympics one day and win a medal for Sri Lanka,” Tharushi told the Sunday Times, her voice calm but full of purpose.
Her journey began in Grade 7, at a house sports meet in Rangiri Dambulla National School.
“I didn’t know anything about athletics. I just ran barefoot,” she remembers with a laugh.
But what began as a race for fun soon turned into a calling. Born in Hindagama, a small village seven kilometres inside Galewela, her life wasn’t easy. Her father, Saman Kumara Premasiri, works at a guest house in Katunayake, while her mother, Nilani Jayasuriya, is a homemaker. The family had no land of their own.
They built a small house on temple land, for which they still pay lease. Their home is so remote that no vehicle can reach it; the family must walk along a narrow footpath to get to the main road.
“We have to carry everything by hand, even groceries and school bags,” says her mother.
“But we never let that stop us.”
“At times, we borrowed money to buy shoes, uniforms, even to go for races,” said her mother.
“There were days when we didn’t know how to make ends meet.”
But Tharushi ran through the storm.
A star is born in the middle of signal failure
On the day of the 800m final in Saudi Arabia, her mother tried to watch it live on her mobile phone. But the signal failed halfway through. She didn’t know whether her daughter had won.
“When I heard later that she won gold, I just cried. I couldn’t believe it,” said Nilani, wiping away her tears. From dusty fields to running against Asia’s best, Tharushi now trains under coach Buddhika Nuwan at Wickramabahu Central College, Gampola. She has already set 13 national records, including a stunning 4:29.97 in the Under-18 1500m, smashing a 39-year-old national record once held by Olympian Dammika Menike.
“I always followed the footsteps of Dammika Menike and Tharushi Karunaratne. They are my heroes,” she said affirming while adding, “but now, I want to write my own story.”
Sri Lanka’s new golden hope
Tharushi is now seen as one of Sri Lanka’s brightest hopes in athletics. She already won gold at the South Asian Under-20 Championship, and plans to compete in Bahrain next.
“The more international meets I run, the better I become. Weather changes, competition pressure — all that teaches you something,” she said. Behind her success is a village’s pride, a family’s sacrifice, and a nation’s quiet hope. But she’s not alone now. MAS Holdings supports her with gear and equipment. SCOT Campus, Kohuwala takes care of her monthly allowance and travel costs. Her father no longer has to take loans for every meet.
“Now I can just focus on running,” she said.
Running for the heart of a nation
Tharushi’s story is more than just medals and records. It’s about dreaming beyond the limits, fighting every odd, and carrying the spirit of a nation on two young legs.
“She has made us all proud,” said Sri Lanka Athletics Secretary Saman Kumara Gunawardena.
“This is the best we’ve ever done in Asian Youth history. And Tharushi led the way.”
For a girl who ran barefoot in a village school meet just a few years ago, beating giants like China, India, and Japan is no small feat.
And in her own words — “the road is long, but I’m not stopping till I wear the Olympic medal around my neck.”