"P.T. Usha, India." This was the address on a letter from the Middle East. The letter was delivered by the postal department with no delay whatsoever. This was the status of PILAVULLAKANDI THEKKEPARAMBIL USHA who was born as the second daughter of Paithal and Lakshmi Amma on 20 May 1964 in the village of Payyoli, Kozhikode District, Kerala.

It was November 1973 when a dedicated physical education teacher called Balakrishnan discovered Usha while conversing with a parent. His eyes, ever watchful, kept drifting to a group of small girls playing blind man's bluff just across the field. Was there a pair of feet that were moving extraordinarily fast? Was that tiny, dark girl in her blue skirt and white blouse moving like an instinctive athlete? Patient as ever, Balakrishnan waited for the game to be over. Calling the little girl, he gently enquired of her, "What's your name, child?" The shy little girl hardly raised her eyes from the ground. "Usha," she whispered and added, "from Class IV."

Thus was made one of the greatest discoveries in the athletic arena of Asia, a simple question from an observant master, and an equally unassuming answer from a tiny village girl from a distant village in Malabar in Kerala. That same evening, at 4.15 p.m., Usha heard the magical words for the first time in her life - On your Marks. Get set. Go. The Master had explained to her what to do, and why. Confused, but very much aware of the 'seriousness' of the occasion, she ran for her life. The rest is history.

In 1975, Usha was 11 years old and was practising vigorously for the sub-junior District Meet-her first ever. With three days to go, Usha badly injured her heel, while practising for the long jump. The day of the event; all eyes were on her; she was so puny, so unbelievably tiny that she was the crowd's favourite even before the race started. A white bandage on her heel won her even more sympathy. She came first in all the four events she participated in -100m, 200m, long jump, and high jump. She was also the individual champion at the Meet.

Academically, Usha was an extremely bright student. She was always amongst the top three in her class and was popular with her teachers. She passed her standard VII exams with a first class grade. Just then, the government of Kerala announced a separate Sports Division for girls at Cannanore, a town with special facilities for sports in addition to regular studies.