Success Formula: 'Believe in Yourself, Think Big, Aim High

The first edition of The Weekend Leader’s ‘Unnal Mudiyum Thambi ‘(You Can Do It Bro!), a motivational lecture series for students of government schools, kicked off at the Government Higher Secondary School at Thuraipakkam Saturday with international motorcycle racer S Sarath Kumar delivering an inspiring talk on what it takes to succeed in life.

Sarath addressing the students (Photos: Media Ramu)

Sarath, 21, a school dropout, who grew up in poverty hit the race track because of his love for bikes and a career opportunity the sport offered.

“Believe in yourself, think big, aim high, and you will be successful in life,” the young speedster told the students of the government school who would be appearing for the tenth and twelfth standard board exams next year.

The reigning national champion in the 165 cc expert category urged the students to remove the negative thoughts that hinder their growth and set high goals in life.

He recalled the days when his family had struggled for food and his single mother had worked hard as a tailor in a garment export factory to feed the family.

“I have dropped newspapers, milk packets and worked in a courier company as a delivery boy to bring in that little extra income for the family,” he said.

But all that changed after Sarath became a successful professional racer. “Today I go around the world taking part in international races,” said Sarath, the first Indian to secure a podium finish at an international motorsports event, when he finished third at the Italian Championship in 2012.

Sarath was also one of The Weekend Leader’s Unsung Heroes of Tamil Nadu in 2013.

P Saravanaraja, a Chennai based entrepreneur and former Chairman of The Weekend Leader’s Friends of Positive Journalism, gave career guidance to the students and listed the courses they could pursue in college apart from the much sought after engineering and medical degrees.

Students went away inspired at the end of the 2-hour program. (Seated from l to r: Sam Rajappa, G Babu Jayakumar, S Sarath Kumar, P Saravanaraja and P C Vinoj Kumar)

The Chief Guest for the program, G Babu Jayakumar, Deputy Resident Editor of The New Indian Express, encouraged the students to take up journalism as a career and referred to openings in the print and television media.

Editor of The Weekend Leader, P C Vinoj Kumar, said the ‘Unnal mudiyum thambi’ lecture series has been launched for the benefit of government school students. He exhorted the students to create a positive image of their future in the mind and keep reminding themselves that “I am an achiever.”

Earlier, K Rajendran, a senior teacher at the school, introduced the guests to the students.

Senior journalist and Consulting Editor of The Weekend Leader, Sam Rajappa, presided over the function which ended with a group photo that captured the spirit of the program. - TWL Bureau