When floodwaters entered 17-year-old Janmoni Konwar’s home in Bhogdoiporia Gaon in Jorhat on July 19, they threatened to wash away more than her family’s belongings. They threatened to derail a dream she had spent years building.

Janmoni had been preparing for 20th All India Independence Cup Karate Championship 2026 in New Delhi. But as water rose inside the house that night, training and competition suddenly became secondary.

She and her brother gathered whatever essentials they could and fled with their family. Soon, they were living in a tent by the roadside.

For a financially struggling family, the prospect of sending Janmoni to Delhi for the championship appeared increasingly out of reach. The teenager, who had trained for years and competed in 15 events since taking up karate in 2019, began to fear that the flood had brought her sporting journey to a halt.

“We were discussing the upcoming national event and how to go. But when the water entered our house, everything changed,” she recalled.

Then came an unexpected turning point. On August 3, Janmoni met Alakh Pandey, founder of Physics Wallah, who encouraged her not to give up on the competition and assured her that the expenses would be taken care of.

File image of Janmoni Konwar with founder of Physics Wallah, Alakh Pandey (Photo: AT)“He told me he would manage everything and that I just needed to bring the gold medal. I promised him that no matter what, I would bring the gold medal,” Janmoni said.

She had just three days to prepare. There was no proper training facility available to her.

Her family remained displaced by the flood, and the circumstances were hardly conducive to preparing for a national championship. But Janmoni improvised, practising wherever she could, including on the road.

For a teenager whose home had been inundated and whose family was living by the roadside, the road became a training ground. On August 8, she travelled to New Delhi to compete in the 20th All India Independence Cup Karate Championship at Talkatora Indoor Stadium.

She kept her promise. Janmoni won gold in the Ashihara category, turning what had seemed like an impossible journey into a remarkable sporting triumph.

For her, the medal means more than a place on the podium. Her sporting journey began in 2019, inspired by her father, a former football player.