“Have you wondered how far life can take you when you refuse to fit into just one box?

Born into a multicultural family with a Bengali-Malayali mother and an Udupi father and raised in the heart of Chennai, my life was destined to be anything but ordinary.

My childhood was a whirlwind of movement, music, and discipline that pushed my limits in the best ways possible.

My mother was the visionary behind my jam-packed schedule. Bharatanatyam classes, piano lessons, theater, sailing, and whatnot. My life felt like a carousel that never stopped spinning.

But somewhere in this carefully curated chaos, I found my heart’s true compass: sailing. The rush of the wind, the discipline of the water, and the freedom of the sea felt like home.

I competed aggressively, winning 32 national medals and 6 international medals, ranking 94th in the world and 5th in Asia. And just three months before my 12th board exams, I created history by winning gold at the Asian Championship.

I still scored 86% and got into Chengalpet Government Medical College through the sports quota.

Balancing medicine and professional sailing was like living two parallel lives. I competed in seven international championships during my first year. Thankfully, my dean, a boxer in his youth, understood the importance of pursuing sports during their peak years.

But medical school changed me. I realized that medicine often stopped at prescriptions and procedures, while I had lived a life deeply shaped by nutrition, fitness, and the mind-body connection. That led me to functional medicine and I did my master’s in internal medicine at the University of Edinburgh.

Over the past five years, I’ve helped countless patients struggling with PCOD, PCOS, allergies, gut issues, and chronic conditions, areas where modern medicine often treats symptoms, not causes.

Alongside this, I’m the COO of MONDAY MONK, a fitness startup that integrates functional medicine, spiritual wellness, and holistic well-being for everyday people.

But how could I leave the sea behind?

In 2012, I missed the Olympics by one spot. It shattered me. But I came back stronger in 2019, forming an all-women’s sailing team and representing India at the J/80 World Championship in Spain, where we placed 4th in the women’s category.

My journey was just beginning!

Just as the world shut down in 2020, our hearts opened up with the beautiful news of my pregnancy. I wanted a natural birth for my daughter, so we traveled to Kochi for it.

I even trained myself as a birth preparation coach and practiced baby-led weaning. She became the center of my universe, yet she never became an excuse to stop pursuing my passions. When she turned two, I returned to sailing once more.

But how far did I go this time?

I joined the Tamil Nadu Women’s Police sailing team and completed a 1,000 km world record sail along India’s coastline in a J80 boat, proving to myself that motherhood and ambition can coexist.

But the sea wasn’t the only stage I belonged to. Theatre has been a part of my life since childhood, thanks to my mother, who founded The Little Theatre in 1991, long before Chennai’s arts culture bloomed.

A turning point came when my mother partnered with a medical clown, and the concept completely captivated us. Soon, I became India’s first certified medical clown professional!

Medical clowning wasn’t simply about wearing a costume. It was about giving children control in a space where they usually feel powerless. Through techniques like distraction therapy, we helped reduce sedation needs and ease emotional stress.

My husband, my best friend since first grade, is an actor himself. Together, we now run The Little Theatre. For the past two years, I’ve been the CEO, developing medical clowning and training programs for the next generation.

Apart from this, I’m a lyricist, a trained dancer and I play the piano and violin. I also acted in an Italian feature film “Gills” at age 12 and even sang playback for the Tamil movie “Three Roses”. It’s been an amazing journey so far.

I’ve spent over a decade as a motivational speaker, am a TED Fellow, a TEDx speaker and have conducted humanitarian research across Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania and India. I also serve on the Global Shapers Alumni Advisory Council.

If I could tell young dreamers one thing, it is this: passion has no limits and purpose has no timelines.

Everything I became came from everything I tried. Try daringly and life will open doors you never knew existed!”