On 29 August, 2018 Swapna Barman became the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold. With 6026 points under her belt, the 21-year-old athlete aced a podium finish at what is deemed as one of the toughest athletic challenges in the world. For the uninitiated, a heptathlon is a track-and-field competition made up of seven events completed in a span of two consecutive days – 100-meter hurdles, high jumps, shot put, a 200-meter race, long jumps, javelin throws and an 800-meter race. But what makes Barman’s story extraordinary are the circumstances under which she won.

The young athlete has six toes in each foot, which she squeezes into regular shoes meant for five toes—so every landing in the course of her rigorous practice sessions and competitions brings with it a fresh wave of pain. In addition to this unique challenge, on the two days of the heptathlon, she was tormented by severe toothache caused by an abscessed molar and couldn’t take any medication for it because of the strict anti-doping rules.

Despite her peculiar journey dotted with pain and adversity, Barman wears her victory lightly and with a smile. She took to Twitter to express her joy upon winning –“Proudest moment of my life! I am humbled and honoured by the love and support I have received from all over the world! I would like to thank my coach Subhash Sarkar, my physios, all the doctors who have helped me compete.”

Born in a village called Ghospara on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, Barman was encouraged to pursue athletics by her father who worked as a rickshaw driver before a stroke left him bed-ridden in 2013. Her mother is employed at the local tea estate. The young athlete was first spotted as a high-jumper at a regional school meet by Sports Authority of India (SAI) coach, Subhash Sarkar (who is also her current coach). Subsequently she was inducted into the SAI Kolkata hostel in 2013 and in less than a year she became the youngest heptathlon competitor at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Around the same time, Barman was diagnosed with a disc bulge on her back despite which she managed to finish fifth. A string of injuries kept her out for nearly a year but she emerged victorious in 2017 going for gold at the Asian Athletics Championships held at Bhubaneshwar.

Barman would always like the spotlight to remain on her achievements rather than her challenges. “I hope so,” she told Reuters in an interview post her win at the Games, “After all, nobody from India won a heptathlon gold at the Asian Games before. I hope people will now remember me more for winning the gold than for my toes. It’s like a new identity for me.” Her priority right now is to rest and recuperate before she resumes practice. Her eyes firmly set on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.