Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], March 12 (ANI): Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker has always been a strong advocate for fitness and a healthy lifestyle. According to her, maintaining both mental and physical well-being is essential.

' 'Fit hain to hit hain'...There is nothing greater than fitness. Eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle has been a tradition in our country. Our ancestors would work on farms and eat healthy, and that is why they were mentally and physically strong and healthy,' she told ANI.

She believes that staying healthy is not just about physical strength but also about mental resilience. In today's fast-paced life, people often neglect their health, which leads to various diseases and decreased efficiency.

'Mental and physical fitness is extremely important. Taking out some time from the routine is essential to live disease-free,' she added.

She believes that prioritizing fitness is the key to longevity and peak performance.

Bhaker's journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. A prodigious talent who fell short at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Manu made history in Paris by becoming the first Indian to win two medals in a single edition of Olympics.

Bhaker opened India's medal tally in the Olympics after she secured third place in the women's individual 10m air pistol event, becoming the first-ever woman shooter to win an Olympic medal for India. Following that, Sarabjot Singh and Bhaker won the bronze medal in the 10m air pistol (mixed team) event, which was India's first-ever shooting team medal.

In her final event, she narrowly missed out on the historic grand treble and finished fourth in the women's 25m pistol shooting event. She missed out on the opportunity to become the first Indian to win three medals at the Olympics.

The young shooter's sweet redemption came after a disappointing Tokyo Olympics campaign in 2021, where a malfunction in her gun cost her a medal. During the 10 m air pistol qualification round during the Tokyo Olympics, her gun malfunctioned, which caused her to lose a lot of time. She was left with a very short amount of time to carry out her quota of shots. She missed the top-eight finish required to qualify for the final round and finished at the 12th spot. In the 25-metre pistol event, she failed to qualify further, finishing in the 15th spot. Her 10 m air pistol mixed team event did not go well either, as she finished in seventh overall. (ANI)