I Don’t Do This, But Some Hustlers Deserve It!
I’ve walked past celebrities before, Actors. Influencers. People with millions of followers.
Never once did I feel the urge to stop them, To ask for a selfie, To interrupt their day.
But then one afternoon, at an airport terminal somewhere between the security checking and boarding gates—I saw her.
Not a star.
A fighter.
Geeta Phogat.
And something inside me moved.
I hesitated, I’ not the type to chase selfies. Not the type to chase people but this wasn’t about fame. This wasn’t fanboy energy.
This was respect.
Because this woman—standing in front of me in calm energy had fought battles I recognized.
Not because I wrestled but because I hustled.
She fought in mud pits. I fought in boardrooms.
She faced naysayers. So did I.
She had to prove herself again and again. So did I.
In her, I saw a mirror. Different arena. Same fight. (Hustle Memo 2 – My most treasured $30)
So I walked up. Nervous, a little awkward, and said: “Can I take a photo with you?”
She smiled. Humble. Gracious, Like it was the most normal thing in the world.
But to me—it wasn’t. It was a full-circle moment.
We didn’t talk much—maybe a few words but it was enough. That photo wasn’t a memory.
It was a reminder.
Geeta’s hustle reminded me of what it truly means to show up daily even when the world doesn’t believe in you yet. She didn’t have shortcuts. She didn’t have glam. She had grit.
In that moment, I remembered:
- All the times I worked silently behind the scenes.
- All the days no one clapped, no one noticed.
- All the battles I fought just to prove that I belong.
And there she was—living proof that fight pays off.
“Some People Carry Their Medals in Spirit”
There’s a reason I didn’t stop those actors, Their victories felt scripted.
But Geeta’s?
Hers were earned. With sweat. With failure. With comeback.
She reminded me: Some people don’t carry medals. They carry moments.
Moments where they didn’t quit, Moments where they fought invisible wars, Moments that no camera ever captured but made them who they are. She didn’t just wrestle opponents. She wrestled doubts. Norms. Entire systems. And still smiled at an airport like it was just another day.
Hope: For Every Quiet Fighter Reading This
If you’re out there, building quietly, Fighting battles no one claps for, Wondering if it’s worth it?
This is your sign: Yes, it is.
You don’t need fame. You don’t need a stage. You need to keep showing up.
Because someone, somewhere, is watching your hustle and thinking,
“Damn. That’s who I want to take a photo with someday.”
About: Geeta Phogat isn’t just India’s first female wrestling gold medalist. She’s the daughter who defied norms, the fighter who opened locked doors, and the woman who made every Indian girl believe she could own the mat.
She didn’t just win matches—she rewrote the script. From muddy akharas to the global stage, Geeta didn’t ask for a path she wrestled one into existence.
