Mary Kom

Unbreakable

1. IDEA 1

   A farm childhood in Manipur

   Mary Kom describes growing up in a poor farming family in the village of Kangathei in Manipur. She helped her parents in the fields from a young age, and this hard work, she suggests, built the toughness she later needed in the ring.

2. IDEA 2

   A local hero inspired her

   Mary Kom describes how the success of Manipuri boxer Dingko Singh at the Asian Games inspired her to take up boxing. At the time women's boxing was rare in India, but she was determined to try a sport where she felt strong.

3. IDEA 3

   She kept boxing secret at first

   Fearing her father's disapproval, Mary Kom trained without telling her family. She describes how he learned about it from a newspaper report of her win, and how, after initial worry, her family eventually accepted her choice.

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