From Navy to Nation’s Pride: Gauri Mishra Pedals to Glory at 40

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Former Naval Officer Gauri Mishra won two golds and a silver in Track Cycling in the World Masters Games 2025, held recently in Taiwan. It’s a giant leap by the former woman officer who served the navy for nearly 20 years. It was just two years ago in 2023 she got trained in track cycling and she had become the first Indian woman to participate in the world event in Manchester, UK. “It’s akin to Olympics. These medals are precious and special to me. People don’t enter this sport at 40. Winning at a global platform is special”, Gauri says.

Track cycling, Gauri says is different from the regular cycling. This is done on a circular velodrome, which is slightly on a slope and tilted while pedaling. These cycles don’t have brakes and the cyclist’s feet are in a way tied to the pedal. She mastered this in a short time. Gauri says “There is lot of mentaI pressure and I am fortunate, I worked really hard to master this and represent India”. Gauri made use of the velodrome at the Tamil Nadu Sports University in Chengalpattu.

Gauri’s husband Animesh is a Naval officer too. It was in 2019 Gauri took to cycling during her posting as Commander in Chennai to commission a new naval air base. The city’s cycling infrastructure made her fall in love with cycling. Soon her little son Ryan too took to the sport and since then the mom – son team has been nurturing each other’s passion and scaling greater heights.

It was in Chennai, Rian fondly known in the cycling circuit as Rian the Lion had set five world records. Now Rian too has picked up track cycling and inspires many young children to take up cycling. That’s not all, the mom-son team has made it their mission to promote cycling. “Our passion has become our purpose” she says adding “Cycling is the future to reduce the carbon footprint. The aim is to encourage everyone to take fitness as a lifestyle. Our mission is pedal for the planet”.