#NavNaari: Celebrating the nine forms of Goddess Durga by highlighting stories of women who reflect a quality of each Devi.
Get ready to witness the city light up in a grand spectacle of devotion, dance, and cultural diversity for these 9 nights because Navratri is here! It’s that time of that year when devotees honour the Goddess Durga and her nine forms, celebrating her victorious battles against evil. Each of the nine days is devoted to a specific form of Durga. Today, October 3, marks the beginning of Navratri 2024.
Devotees worship Shailaputri Devi – Daughter of Mountain today. She symbolizes action and vigour. One such creator who also embodies these qualities is Simran Verma. She is a fitness junkie, boxer, International athlete, and content creator from Mumbai. From being a fragile child battling severe health issues to becoming a national-level boxing champion, her journey is quite inspiring.
Owing to her premature birth and struggle with asthma, doctors once gave her little hope of survival. But she is a born fighter. Simran started boxing in 2014 when she was just 14 years old! She decided to take up the sport when she saw her senior compete and win against boys.
How Boxing Happened For Simran
Simran and her two brothers have been raised by her mom single-handedly. As a single mother, she ran the entire family. Initially, she was against Simran playing the sport. Eventually, seeing her potential and with assurance from her coach, her mother was convinced. Since then, Simran has always strived to work really hard to respect her mother’s efforts and support in achieving her dreams. ” I am a strong woman because a strong woman raised me.✊🏻❤️” said Simran in one of her posts on Instagram.
In an interview with Mid-day, Simran mentioned that she is a very shy girl and boxing gave her the opportunity to show her aggression inside the ring. Since she was an asthma patient, her doctor advised her to start running.
“I would go to the SAI ground in Kandivali to run. One day, I watched a girl fight a boy. When I saw how she gave him a tough fight, I decided to try boxing. In 2019, a talent scout recommended my name to JSW Sports’ American coach Ronald Simms. I was called for trials at Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) – Bellary, Karnataka. I was chosen and there has been no looking back, said Simran. Her favourite boxer is Katie Taylor.
Also Read: The Ultimate Navratri Fashion Playbook By Your Favourite Creators
Her Journey
Simran spoke about her life’s journey and challenges faced by her in a video with Josh Talks Aasha. As a young girl, she faced bullying and harassment but chose to channel her anger into boxing – a sport she found both empowering and transformative. When a boy harassed her in school, she put him in his place by punching and fighting him.
Even when doctors or society doubted her abilities, she chose to believe in her dream and achieve it all. Simran’s determination never wavered. She continued to fight, not just against her opponents in the ring, but against the societal norms that doubted her abilities as a woman.
Her Achievements
Simran Verma is a prolific boxer and athlete. She boxes in the 52 kg category. Simran has won a Bronze at the Sub-Junior National and Silver in the U-17 School Nationals. After being selected to join IIS, Simran took her game to the next level and won her first international Silver Medal at the Junior Nations’ Cup in Serbia in August 2019.
| Category | Level | Tournament | Year | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | International | Junior Nations’ Cup | 2019 | Silver |
| Sub Junior | National | National Championship | 2018 | Bronze |
| Junior | National | School Nationals | 2017 | Silver |
She also won a silver medal at the ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai. The boxer received USD 3,000 (approx. Rs. 2.5 lakhs) in prize money. Her dream is to buy a house in Mumbai for her mother. Simran continued to train and fight hard and she went on the become the National Champion in 2021. She also bagged the bronze medal in the 2021 Khelo India Youth Games. She aims to be a part of the Indian Olympic team.
Fitness Creator
Simran Verma began documenting her fitness and training journey on her Instagram. She posts pictures and videos of her lifting weights, doing workouts, training in the boxing ring, et al. Simran did her first brand campaign for Evocus in 2023.
She also attends events like the Meta meet-ups where she met –Floyd Mayweather. “As a boxer I know how much he has inspired to all the boxer’s around the world to achieve more in life,” write an elated Simran. She also interacted with Saket Gokhale and praised him for being a genuine creator from the Indian fitness industry.
Simran began training at The Tribe with Karan Sawhney and Robin Behl. She also creates entertaining content with her brother, showcases wholesome moments from her public interactions, motivational content, and more – all while serving looks!
Simran Verma is truly a huge inspiration source for many young girls out there who have a passion for sports and boxing. If she can do it, so can you. Simran always encourages people to believe in themselves, be disciplined, train hard, and achieve everything that they wish for. We salute her resilience and look forward to watch her clinch gold after gold in every championship and represent India at The Olympics!
