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P.T. Usha was born on 27th June 1964 into a poor household in Calicut, Kerala, in the small town of Payyoli. She grew up there and became one of the most famous female athletes in track and field of all time. Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha is her full name. She was raised in severe poverty and struggled with several health issues. Her extraordinary commitment to sports and athletics earned her the nickname “Payyoli Express,” which translates as “Queen of Indian Track & Field” in English.
About P.T. Usha
| Criteria | Details |
| Born | June 27, 1964 |
| Full Name | Pilavullakandi Thekkeraparambil Usha |
| Age | 58 years |
| Education | GVHSS (Sports) Kannur |
| Nickname | Golden Girl, Payyoli Express |
| Sports Career | Retired Indian track and field athlete |
| Years Active | 1976-2000 |
| Employer | Indian Railways |
| Spouse | V. Srinivasan |
| Awards | Arjuna Award for Athletics, Padma Shri |
| Children | Vignesh Ujjwal, Ujjwal Srinivasan |
| Books | Golden Girl: The Autobiography of P.T. Usha |
P.T. Usha Records
- On 6th July 2022, the Indian government nominated renowned athlete Usha to the Rajya Sabha.
- PM Narendra Modi congratulated her on Twitter and emphasised her athletic achievements. He said she had done a great job mentoring aspiring athletes over the last several years.
- Since her retirement in 2000, P.T. Usha and her students from the Usha School of Athletics, situated in Kinalur in Kerala’s Kozhikode, have had a regular presence in the national track and field competitions.
- The most well-known student in Usha’s athletics programme is Tintu Luka, holding the 800-metre national record and won gold at the Asian Games.
- The 400-metre hurdles race at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles was Usha’s greatest performance and her deepest heartbreak. She lost out on the bronze medal by 1/100th of a second.
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event |
| 1980 | Olympic Games | Moscow, Russia | 5th (heats) | 100 metres |
| 1982 | Asian Games | New Delhi, India | 2nd | 100 metres |
| 2nd | 200 metres | |||
| 1983 | Asian Championships | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 2nd | 200 metres |
| 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, USA | 4th | 400 metres hurdles |
| 7th | 4 × 400 m relay | |||
| 1985 | Asian Championships | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1st | 100 metres |
| 1st | 200 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 3rd | 4 × 100 m relay | |||
| 1st | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 7th | 400 metres | |
| 5th | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 8th | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1986 | Asian Games | Seoul, South Korea | 2nd | 100 metres |
| 1st | 200 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 1st | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1987 | Asian Championships | Singapore | 2nd | 100 metres |
| 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 100 m relay | |||
| 1st | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| World Championships | Rome, Italy | DNS | 400 metres | |
| 6th (semifinal) | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 8th (heats) | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea | 7th (heats) | 400-metre hurdles |
| 1989 | Asian Championships | New Delhi, India | 2nd | 100 metres |
| 1st | 200 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres | |||
| 1st | 400 metres hurdles | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 100 m relay | |||
| 1st | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1990 | Asian Games | Beijing, China | 4th | 200 metres |
| 2nd | 400 metres | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 100 m relay | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1994 | Asian Games | Hiroshima, Japan | 4th | 200 metres |
| 5th | 4 x 100 relay | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| 1998 | Asian Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 3rd | 200 metres |
| 3rd | 400 metres | |||
| 1st | 4 x 100 m relay | |||
| 2nd | 4 x 400 m relay | |||
| Asian Games | Bangkok, Thailand | 6th | 400 metres | |
| 4th | 4 x 100 m relay |
P.T. Usha Early Life
- P.T. Usha was not fortunate enough to enjoy the comforts of a pleasant childhood since she was born into a poor household and had to deal with the reality of life right away. But her dreams, with her incredible skill and tremendous willpower, allowed India and her to stand on a great platform in the world of sports.
- She displayed a keen interest in sports as a teenager, which she pursued after receiving a scholarship from the Kerala government worth Rs. 250.
- The fast-moving young lady made her professional debut in the National School Games when O.M. Nambiar, an athletics coach, took notice of her outstanding performance. The event turned out to be a turning point in her life since she met the ideal mentor for her special skills.
P.T. Usha Personal Life
- The family of P.T. Usha never prevented their beloved child from achieving her golden destiny and supplied her with the emotional energy she needed to keep going.
- In 1991, she tied the knot with V. Srinivasan, an Central Industrial Security Force inspector. They have two boys.
- Usha’s mother, like all moms, adored her child and encouraged her aspirations to become a world-class athlete. T.V. Lakshmi is her name. Usha has spoken out in praise of her beloved mother.
- E.P.M. Paithal is Usha’s father. Usha remembers her early years and often speaks of her dad as diligent in supporting his family.
P.T. Usha Career
- O.M. Nambiar, an athletics coach, first observed P.T. Usha during a sports prize distribution event in 1977, and he started teaching her the next year.
- She quickly succeeded after winning six medals in the inter-state junior meet in Kollam in 1978.
- The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was PT Usha’s greatest moment. She took six medals at the Asian Championships held in Jakarta in 1985—five gold and one bronze.
- PT Usha won 13 gold medals in ATF competitions between 1983 and 1989. PT Usha won four gold medals and one silver in the track & field competitions at the 10th Asian Games, which were held in Seoul, South Korea, in 1986.
- P.T. Usha now sits on the Board of Advisors for India’s International Movement to the UN (I.I.M.U.N).
P.T. Usha Awards and Honours
| Year | Awards and Honours |
| 2000 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt.) conferred by Kannur University |
| 2017 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Sc.) conferred by IIT Kanpur |
| 2018 | Honorary Doctorate (D.Litt.) conferred by the University of Calicut |
| 2019 | IAAF Veteran Pin |
| 1985 | Padma Shri |
| 1984 | Arjuna Award |
