It was on May 20, 1964, when a girl was born in Kerala who went on to become the best sprinter of not only India, but also of Asia. The name of this girl is Pilavulakandi Thekkeparmabi Usha. It was her phenomenal performance in various national and international meets which made her an exceptional woman athlete.

She began her wonderful career in the 1982 Asian Games held in New Delhi where she bagged two gold medals in the 100-metre and 200-metre races. She kept the Indian flag high by winning 4 gold, 1 silver in the Track and Field events. Her success story continued in Jakarta in 1985 where she won six medals at a single championship.

In the 1986 Asia held in Seoul, she achieved the distinction of winning the maximum number of gold medals by a single athlete in a single international meet. In the 4th Asia Track and Field Championship she won 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. The Government of India has honored the sprint queen by awarding her the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri.