Born on July 5, 1995, in Hyderabad, India, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu, known as PV Sindhu, exhibited exceptional talent from a young age and has since become an inspiration for aspiring athletes around the world. 

Sport was a part of her life growing up - both her parents represented India at volleyball, while her elder sister was a talented handball player, however, it was at badminton that PV Sindhu really excelled. 

The Commonwealth Youth Games features athletes from the Commonwealth nations aged 14 to 18 years, and certainly served as a stepping stone for her illustrious career.  

At the age of just 14, she participated in the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games held in Pune, India. Although she did not win a medal, it marked the beginning of her international exposure and provided her with valuable experience competing against top-level athletes. 

Four years later she won the Asian Junior Badminton Championship, a feat that brought her considerable attention and recognition. 

PV Sindhu's real breakthrough came in the 2013 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Championships, held in Guangzhou, China. At just 18 years of age, she became the first Indian woman to win a bronze medal at this level. 

The 2016 Rio Olympics was another defining moment in Sindhu's career. 

She reached the finals of the women's singles event, where she faced Spain’s Carolina Marin. In a nail-biting final, it was Marin who took the gold but Sindhu’s silver medal made her India's first female athlete to achieve such a feat at the Olympic Games. 

PV Sindhu’s star continued to rise and in 2019, she won the BWF World Championships held in Basel, Switzerland. The victory made her the first Indian to clinch the gold medal at the World Championships. 

2021 saw PV Sindhu add yet another milestone to her illustrious career.  

At the Tokyo Olympics, she secured the bronze medal in the women's singles event. With this achievement, she became the first Indian woman to win two Olympic medals. 

In 2022 PV Sindhu made her third Commonwealth Games appearance where she triumphed in Birmingham winning the gold medal to make it a full house of Commonwealth Games medals adding to her bronze at Glasgow in 2014 and silver at the Gold Coast Games in 2018.

PV Sindhu's development from the Commonwealth Youth Games to her status as a superstar in badminton has been remarkable. Her journey is a testament to her perseverance, hard work, and a never-say-die attitude.  

As India’s class of 2023 get ready to head to Trinidad and Tobago, PV Sindhu is one of many inspirational athletes who has inspired them to dream big and work tirelessly to achieve their goals.