Beyond the Finish Line | Vibha Veeramachaneni | TEDxOakridge Intl School Vizag Youth

A TEDxOakridge International School Vizag Youth talk by Vibha Veeramachaneni, an IBDP1 student and trained Kathak dancer, on how society shapes expectations of women in sport. The talk examines who defines what an athlete should look like, how women's achievements are interpreted, and why talent and wins by women are often overlooked or undersold. The speaker, who has played football since age seven and currently trains mainly as a track and field athlete, draws on her own experience across several sports and dance. The talk asks whose picture of an athlete shaped these expectations and considers the stories about women in sport that are rarely told.

• How early expectations about what an athlete looks like are formed
• Expectations placed on women's appearance, behaviour and achievements in sport
• Overlooked talent and under-reported wins by women athletes
• Speaker's background in football, track and field, basketball and Kathak

Long before anyone plays a sport, they learn what an athlete is supposed to look like. This talk explores how society builds expectations around women in sport: how they should look, how they should behave, and how their achievements should be read. It asks who taught us that picture, and follows it to the talent we overlook, the wins we undersell, and the stories that never get told. Vibha Veeramachaneni is an IBDP1 student and trained Kathak dancer who began her classical dance journey at eight, initially learning Kuchipudi. She has played football since the age of seven and has competed in multiple sports, currently training primarily as a track and field athlete while representing her school in basketball and continuing her passion for football. A two-time Natyaravli national solo dance winner with multiple group wins, Vibha is passionate about dance and sport, particularly women in sport. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx