The Vault She Landed, The Memory She Held – Divya Deshmukh's Quiet Tribute
- Neha Kumari
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
In the rolling wave of applause that rattled the stadium, Divya Deshmukh, the 19-year-old stood with the gold medal around her neck, the Vault Cup in her hand and the in her eyes not just what we might describe as the ecstatic happiness but a thought of what she went through to get it and we know exactly what we are talking about.
She had accomplished it in her world which was becoming British but not yet British An almost flawless dismount off the vault that the judges had no words to describe and the crowd was screaming with excitement.
Even at that moment of national triumph, Divya was not reflecting on the news that she was going to get, or the record books that she had just etched.
In her heart, she had been in love with a man who was not on the podium at the moment, but always with her in the intangible sense of the word, her coach Rahul Joshi.
The Man and armor the Medal
Rahul Joshi was not a viral coach with his interviews and Instagram reels. He was the one who was able to do things in silence and it may not be noticed in the eyes of the world but he is always unforgettable by students.
Years before when Divya was a scrawny, meek girl with a stooped and hunched posture and scarred hands, it was Rahul who saw through her slightly fucked up physicality and saw promise.
Most coaches asked to be perfect, Rahul preferred passion. Even Divya had it, though hers was kind of lump-tacked on.
He did not train to win the medals; he trained her to believe. His voice could not be mistaken when Divya was in a self-doubting mode, and his voice continued, “You do not perform to the audience, Divya.
You leap in the hearth you are."
The Times It Almost Ended
Two years back, Divya was severely injured in ankle during regional tournament. Physicians were pessimistic. And most of the Connaughton thought that she would quit her leotard and move on. almost she did
Coach Rahul did not allow such a narrative to occur. When your body was scared, your mind must fight on its behalf, he said to her in one of the efforts to rehabilitate her.
He would go round to see her in hospital each day. Aided her in relearning all stretches, all balances and all confidence. Where most people saw a dead end he saw a short cut.
Not Her Family, Not Her Fans...
Speed, and strength, and memory there was in her last vault which brought her the cup. The manner in which she ran was what Coach Rahul had instilled in her: "Not out of fear, but with conviction".
The turn on the air, the landing--everything was muscle memory that could be formed through years of trust exercised and persistence.
And hence when the cameras flashed cameras after her victory, when the reporters crowded her to get a reaction, she merely smiled and said:
“This is not one to be broadcast to the world.
This is to a man who heard of me when nobody knew me.”
No catalogue of thanks. Nothing to see here Only a silent reminder of a coach who believed at the moment when it was very necessary.
A Memory Medal
As her family celebrated and social media was filled with posts wishing them luck, Divya found some time to herself. and then up and down at the vault beneath her.
And it was not really a podium but a sum of every morning practice, every fall, every tear, every moment of “You got it” by a man that never gave up on her.
Coach Rahul Joshi died six months ago of a cardiac arrest. However, his legacy did not require newspaper articles. It was in every action of Divya. And every breath drugged in unto that run-up drink was drencht in the breche of his teachings.
Final Word
In sports, winning is everything. The trophy. The great applause However, sometimes it does have another side, and the one when a young girl gets a medal, but there is something a lot more important, stored in her heart.
Yes, Divya Deshmukh was the Vault Cup winner. But what she held up into the air was a memory.
The one that taught us all that there is someone to believe in hidden behind every champion, and he/she believed the most.
📅 By News Anek Digital Desk | August 2, 2025
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