Rachana Majhi defies adversities to have tryst with destiny
A spark of curiosity. A moment of chance. And a village girl who rose to become a national champion.
By Pramod Sahukar
Lanjigarh (Kalahandi, Odisha), Dec. 2: In the sun-soaked fields of Chanalima village, life once unfolded in familiar rhythms for 17-year-old Rachana Majhi — school at dawn, household chores by dusk, and long hours helping her mother, Champa Majhi, tend their modest farmland. After losing her father, Nabin Majhi, early in childhood, Rachana grew up balancing responsibility with quiet resilience, imagining a future much like that of the girls around her.
But destiny rarely announces itself. It sometimes slips into life as a small, unexpected moment.
For Rachana, that moment arrived in 2021, when coordinators of Vedanta Aluminium’s grassroots archery programme visited her school. Among the equipment they carried was a compound bow — sleek, unfamiliar and strangely captivating. In that instant, something shifted. Acting on instinct, she signed up for training, unaware that this simple decision would alter the course of her life.
The transformation unfolded slowly, then all at once. At the Lanjigarh Archery Academy, Rachana trained under professional coaches, gained access to modern equipment, and received nutritional and psychological support. Her natural calmness, steady focus and ability to absorb feedback set her apart almost immediately.
“Rachana carries an extraordinary composure,” says her coach, Shambhu Nath Parida. “Even in the tensest moments, her mind stays anchored.”
Her medal journey reflects that discipline:
2022: Silver at the Open State Archery Championship
2024: Gold at the School State Championship and a silver at the Open State meet
2025: Her breakthrough — a gold medal at the SGFI Council National Games, securing her place in the Sub-Junior National Archery Championship
For Chanalima, her medals have become symbols of possibility. For Rachana, they affirm a dream once unimaginable.
Vedanta’s academy, which has trained more than 300 rural and tribal children since 2018 under Olympian mentor Rahul Banerjee, now counts her among its brightest prospects.
“Her journey shows what emerges when opportunity reaches the grassroots,” says Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, CEO, Vedanta Alumina Business.
Today, Rachana aims higher — to wear India’s colours and carry her village’s hopes onto the global stage.
“From a farmer’s daughter to a national champion,” says activist Dr. Ramachandra Behera, “she is teaching girls across Kalahandi to aim beyond circumstance.”
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Photograph: Rachana Majhi – The Golden Girl
