One a national level runner, athlete is now barely surviving: ‘Cannot afford running shoes…’

Once upon a time, she was a national-level athlete. Today Bulti Roy is living in poverty. Sharing a video of her home, YouTuber Aradhanaa revealed despite representing the country globally, won many medals is now desperately trying to survive. She lives in a small rented room in Tarkeshwar, West Bengal with her husband and children.

According to an Anandabazaar Patrika report, Roy was born to a family of farm labourers. Her father Monotosh once sold a cow to buy her sports clothes and shoes. Her family Santhosh sells cucumbers in trains.

She got inspired by runner Jyotirmoyi Sikdar’s incredible journey and decided to follow in her footsteps. She started practicing on farming land. She went on to win at district, national and international levels. She went on a hiatus for eight years before rejoining sports again recently. She can barely afford running shoes and they get ruined mid-race. She trains without a coach.


In a 2022 interview with ABP, Roy revealed she subsists on muri and soaked rice before starting her training. Regarding her diet, she told the newspaper: “All of our savings are spent on rent, our kid’s education. Forget about milk and energy drinks, I cannot afford to eat an egg daily..”

In an interview with TV9, she admitted she struggled to buy quality shoes: “A good pair of shoes cost Rs 10-15 thousand. Where can I afford such shoes?”

She now seeks to bring gold for India at the Olympics.