Eager Beaver - Xerxes Irani

“I studied in Stewart School, Cuttack, where I represented my state at the national level in Basketball. I was also a district level swimmer and a part of the school's football team. After my 12th in Ravenshaw, I went to St. Xavier's college, Calcutta. During my college days, I played at the national level, was University Gold medalist in Basketball and got the Outstanding Sportsperson award. Sports taught me many values that have shaped me into who I am today.

I worked in Decathlon for a few months, then started my own venture of a Laser Tag Arena, a first of its kind in Calcutta, which became a huge hit among the youth. I got the ‘Youngest Entrepreneur’ award in West Bengal that year. Unfortunately, it got shut down due to a fire when the business was at its peak. I reopened it at a second location but ran into some hassles and had to shut it down. After sacrificing my passions and working relentlessly for years, I was at a loss financially and emotionally.

I shifted to Bangalore where I pursued a certification as an advanced personal trainer while working in an NGO, ‘Bridges of Sport’. I coached young athletes for almost two years, in remote areas of Karnataka. Thereafter, I got a job in ‘Fitness First’, Mumbai, as a fitness consultant. When I heard about the Roadies auditions happening in Pune, I went there. After multiple rounds of interview, I became the first Odia to make it to the Roadies.

Being selected amongst the best talents in the country felt like a blessing. I ended up winning the hearts of the judges, fellow contestants and most importantly, the viewers by performing well in the tasks. Since childhood I’ve believed in performance and not politics. However, in order to survive the journey, one has to play survival politics, so eventually I got voted out, despite being a strong contender.

Currently, I am based in Cuttack, and involved in multiple projects. I want to contribute to the sports ecosystem in Odisha by identifying and providing the right coaching, infrastructure and education to the suburban and rural talents of our state. I take pride in being an Odia and a khanti Cuttakia.

All I can say is that it doesn't matter where you're from or what you do, as long as you do it with passion and put in the hard work, all the efforts and sacrifices pay off in the end in one way or the other. Life is all about doing the right thing in one's own capacity and upholding ones’ morals and self-respect and this leads to internal happiness. One has to always be humble and grateful to God. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” - Xerxes Irani