If the teenage years are meant to raise some hell, 17-year-old Omprakash Pandey is a befitting exemplum. A resident of Vikhroli in Mumbai, Om is smashing all barriers to emerge as a wrestler. What began as a dream of a fifth grader is now a movement to solidify his savage craft and empower the young sports enthusiasts from Vikhroli Park Site.

At an age when peers are emulating the latest trends of Instagram, young Om is setting precedence to chase one’s passion fiercely. The onset of his wrestling journey began in 2015 at BMC School in Mumbai where he enrolled for the district-level competition. At first, Om was met with defeats and failure had been achieved. He thought to himself “What happens next?”