The Courage Under Fire!!!

I am an ardent fan of Meg Ryan and same can be said for the person about whom I am writing today. However, I am not writing about the film where Meg Ryan shifted her base from the feel good rom-com to a little heavier thing, in the film she was a military helicopter pilot. I am writing about another woman who is only 5’ 2” tall and she is fighting on. She is none other than M. C. Mary Kom. It is little odd because even being a sports junkie boxing was never an item in my menu but still I rooted for her.

Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, also known as MC Mary Kom, Magnificent Mary or simply Mary Kom, is an Indian boxer. She is a five-time World Boxing champion, and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.

Mary was on March 1, 1983, born in Kangathei, Manipur. Her parents, Mangte Tonpa Kom and Mangte Akham Kom, worked in jhum fields.  She is an ethnic Manipuri, also known as Meitei. She completed her primary education from Loktak Christian Model High School, Moirang, up to her class VI standard and attended St. Xavier School, Moirang, up to class VIII. She then moved to Adimjati High School, Imphal, for her schooling for class IX and X, but could not pass her exam. She did not want to reappear for her exams so she quit her school and gave her examination from NIOS, Imphal and graduation from Churachandpur College. Although she had a keen interest in athletics from childhood, it was the success of Dingko Singh that inspired her to become a boxer in 2000. She is married to K Onler Kom and has twin sons, Rechungvar and Khupneivar.

Kom initially tried to hide her interest in boxing from her family, since it was not considered a suitable sport for a woman. However, after her victory in the Manipur state women's boxing championship in 2000, her career became public; her father discovered his daughter's achievement through a photograph in a newspaper.

Mary, a five-time world champion, had won several medals in the 46 and 48kg categories. She was forced to shift to this category and gain weight two years ago after the world body decided to allow women’s boxing in only three weight categories—the lowest one being 51kg.

The first Olympic round was held on 5 August 2012, with Kom defeating Karolina Michalczuk of Poland 19-14 in the third women's boxing match ever to be fought at the Olympics. In the quarter-final, the following day, she defeated Maroua Rahali of Tunisia with a score of 15-6. She faced Nicola Adams of UK in the semi-final on August 8, 2012 and lost the bout 6 points to 11. However, she stood third in the competition and garnered her first Olympic Bronze medal.

Arjuna Award (Boxing), Padma Shree (Sports), People of the Year- Limca Book of Records,  CNN-IBN & Reliance Industries' Real Heroes Award,  Pepsi MTV Youth Icon 2008, ‘Magnificent Mary’, AIBA, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, 2009, International Boxing Association’s Ambassador for Women’s Boxing,Sportswoman of the year 2010, Sahara Sports Award.

Achievements

Year	Place	Weight	Competition
2001	Second	48	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002	First	45	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2002	First	45	Witch Cup
2003	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2004	First	46	Women’s World Cup
2005	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2005	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2006	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2006	First	46	Venus Women’s Box Cup
2008	First	46	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2008	Second	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2009	First	46	Asian Indoor Games
2010	First	48	Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships
2010	First	46	Asian Women’s Championships
2010	Third	51	Asian Games
2011	First	48	Asian Women’s Cup
2012	First	51	Asian Women's Championships
2012	Third	51	Summer Olympics

!!!Fortune helps the brave and brave Mary shown how true it is.!!!