Seventeen-year-old self-trained freestyle skater, Janvi Jindal, who hails from Chandigarh, has etched her name in record books through perseverance and determination. Today, she is India’s second highest Guinness record holder in sports

MARIA FERNANDES | NT

Janvi Jindal from Chandigarh has established herself as one of India’s most remarkable young athletes. A self-trained freestyle skater, she has earned an impressive 11 Guinness World Records, making her India’s top female athlete in terms of Guinness titles and the country’s second-highest Guinness record holder in sports, next only to Sachin Tendulkar. Speaking about her Guinness achievements, she says, “Being mentioned after Sachin sir, someone I’ve looked up to since childhood, feels truly unreal.”

Jindal’s Guinness journey began after she turned 16, when her skating categories were officially classified as high-risk. Within just a year of setting her first record, she went on to achieve 10 more. By mid-November 2025, she received official confirmation and certificates for all 11 records, securing her place among an elite group of global achievers. Alongside these milestones, she also holds eight India Book of Records titles, one Asia Record and one Worldwide Record.

What truly distinguishes Jindal is the path she took to reach such heights. Without formal coaching, advanced facilities or financial advantages, she built her journey entirely through self-learning. Her father, Munish, taught himself skating techniques through YouTube videos and coached her during late-evening practice sessions after work. “The biggest challenge was the absence of professional coaching and infrastructure. With nowhere proper to train, I practiced on footpaths and staircases. Many times, I had to figure things out on my own but those challenges made me stronger and more innovative,” she says. “My mother and family also supported me emotionally and constantly encouraged me to keep going.”

Jindal has reimagined freestyle skating in India by seamlessly blending sport, culture and wellness. She is the world’s first skater to perform bhangra on skates and is a trailblazer of yoga on skates. She is also the first and only Indian to skate down the stairs, a feat that demands exceptional skill and involves significant risk. Through these innovations, she has shown how sport can serve as a powerful medium for cultural expression while introducing Indian traditions to a global stage.

Her journey, however, has not been without challenges. Her first Guinness World Records attempt in 2024 was rejected due to a technical issue. But she remained undeterred. She returned to training with renewed determination and perfected the move within months. Her training routine is demanding; each day starts with warm-ups and stretching, followed by skating practice, balance exercises, spins and repeated complex movements to achieve precision. In addition, she trains at the gym to build strength, practices yoga to enhance flexibility and focus, and works on stamina to sustain endurance. Reflecting on her discipline, she says, “The most difficult part of training is staying consistent. Repeating challenging moves until they are flawless takes patience, discipline and mental focus, but that process is what helps me evolve as an athlete.”

Alongside her sporting achievements, Jindal has excelled academically, again without private coaching. Balancing studies, sport and innovation, she demonstrates exceptional time management, focus and discipline becoming a powerful role model for India’s youth. “I never had a coach. I had a dream. I watched, I practiced, I failed, I learned and tried again, that’s how I built myself,” she says.