Shravanthika Lakshmi - An Emerging Motor Sports Person

Rajesh Govindarajulu

Shravanthika Lakshmi has been a keen student of music from her childhood. Her father Shyamkumar and mother Sangeetha Had taken a lot of efforts in order to inculcate Indian culture in her. She has learnt under Dr.Sudha Raja and Priyankavardhan. Her father's friend and eminent singer Unnikrishnan had mentored her. Shravanthika has completed her twelfth standard from C.S Academy and in the process of continuing her education from P.S.G Institute of Advanced Studies. She is going to study B.A International Studies from this hallowed institution.

Talented Shravanthika has now become a pioneering motor sports person. Akbar Ebrahim happens to be her mentor. This gentleman is the President of FMSCI ( Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India ) and also the President of FIA's International Karting Commission. Well, Shravanthika has been training since 2017 and her first race was during the June of 2018 at Bengaluru. She had represented India in FIA - World Motor Sport Games and was the flag bearer at Rome in Italy. The young lady is hoping to take part in an event in Marseilles ( France ) and has already expressed her interest.

The musical background of Shravanthika is really interesting. Unnikrishnan was her motivation. She would listen to the songs sung by him and would also attend his concerts. He was the one who identified Shravathika's talent. The CD from her was titled ' Sthuthi Manjari ' and she has done a number of concerts during weddings at Coimbatore and Chennai. Her musical journey began from the age of 5 and she is now focusing on motor sports. " My goal is to increase awareness about motorsports amongst the general public by organizing events and doing things that will attract people towards it. Developing grass root level motorsports for women is my goal, " smiled Shravanthika while serving some tasty mixture that was enriched with cashew nuts.

Young Shravanthika has much to be proud of. She has participated in 3 National Championships, a number of local events and 2 club events. Each of the National Championships had 5 rounds and each round had 2 races. This alone came up to 30. Shravanthika drives for ' M sport ' and her coach is Vishnu Prasad. Her list of achievements are impressive - 2019 : Sodi Kart Junior Class Winner, 2019 : Sodi Kart Ladies Class ( Runner ), 2019 : Sodi Kart Ladies Class ( Runner, once more ), 2019: Girls on Track - Simulator Racing 1st & 3rd place ( 2019), 2020 February ; Outstanding Woman in Motor Sport ( FMSCI ), 2021 February : X30 - National Karting Championship, 5 th among 29 people. Most recently in May 2022 Shravanthika came 3 rd in the Meritus Cup ( Senior Category Praga Chassis Class , Chassis is Made in Italy ).

Responsible Shravanthika has coordinated for a number of events and webinars. She had events during the lockdown. The events include the following - Marshals & Volunteers training for women in motorsport, Pranayama & meditation, Emotional Intelligence in Motorsport, Tune into your peak performance in mind and body. Shravanthika is blessed with a good voice and still sings once in a way. The decision to shift from music to motorsports was taken by her and she considers the continued support from her parents to be a boon. The elders had been skeptical and worried but they were very proud when she had represented India in an event which was basically the Motorsport Olympics.

Shravanthika's favorite deity is Lord Muruga and she has a unique icon of him at her home. " I am looking forward to moving closer towards my goal in 2022. I am keen to raise awareness in this regard. Everyone thinks that motorsports is F1. The Netflix series F1, Drive to Survive has created awareness about it. Lots of people are made to believe that racing is simple but there is a line between normal and racing drivers. One has to learn to differentiate between driving straight and driving through corners. Racers can take a turn safely. We must understand that FMSCI is like the BCCI. Racing is branded as a rich man's sport or a recreational one. But it is not. It is as ruthless and daring as any other. Recognition is really tough for a winner and even a first runner up is unknown. We have to run from pillar to post in order to find sponsorships. Spectators are absent here. I do not want someone to quit the sport due to lack of sponsorship. Unfortunately a number of talented people exited due to lack of funds. If more and more enter the arena, the cost will go down and affordability will increase, " added the thoughtful and intelligent Shravanthika. The responsible citizen in her came out in full form during the conversation.

The young girl had faced a number of challenges. Her rib got bruised in an accident. She spoke about an instance while sharing some inputs, " I was coming third in the Rotax National Championship. My engine ceased 5 feet before the finish line. I could have pushed the vehicle and finished with a prize. But I was not aware of this possibility. Incidentally my father who happened to be the Chief Steward was nearby. But the rules and the ethics of the sport made him a silent spectator. We learn through our experiences and I am glad that I am learning. A number of parents are encouraging me. I was the only girl on the track for 2 years, " stated the conscious racer.

Shravanthika has much more to flaunt but she shared the inputs with utmost humility. She recalled an event in Sri Lanka ( 2017 ). It was a Rajasthani Folk Song and people from all age groups had taken part. Grandmother, mother and grandchild performed together in this. They had won the silver in 2017 for their performance. She spoke about another event which was in Indonesia , " We participated in the Asia Pacific Choir Games some years ago. It was the Sargam Choir ( Dr. Sudha Raja ). The event was at Manado in Indonesia ( acapella category ). The singers would make the sound of the instruments. It was a very interesting programme. Participation and recognition through such events gave me a lot of joy. I must say that my mother sings quite well, grinned Shravanthika while showing the videos connected with the event. She was happy to state the music and Indian culture have great support in Indonesia.

The young racer has been an enthusiast from a very early age. She has attended numerous motor sports events as a volunteer in Coimbatore. Shravanthika has been karting for the past 8 years ! " Music is very helpful. I sing at the times when I am under extreme pressure. Singing helps me to keep myself calm and it makes me concentrate on the race. My ultimate goal is to take up the other side of motor sports. My experience in racing and attending events will be the important tools that will help me to reach my goal, " spoke Shravanthika while sharing snippets about her own evolution from being a singer to becoming an achieving motorsports person.

Shravanthika will blossom into the kind of leader and motivator who will lead from the front. We need many like her.

Mr. Rajesh Govindarajulu is one of the founding members of The Verandah Club Pvt. Ltd. He is a leading columnist, historian, jeweler, entrepreneur, and a heritage enthusiast who is earnestly working to revive the past in the light of the present. Experiential learning about the history of Coimbatore is his main course of interest and he is also a panel member of many colleges in the city.