India, Aug. 3 -- Every evening, a group of children gathers at a modest training ground in Ankalkhop village in Sangli district. They sprint down a narrow runway clutching fibreglass poles before launching themselves into the air. Today, they land safely on a professional pole vault mat. Just a few years ago, however, their landing area consisted of soft riverbank soil, discarded vehicle seats and sponge scraps collected from a nearby factory.

Behind this unlikely academy is Anis Shikalgar, a former construction worker and class 10 dropout whose own dream of representing India ended before it could truly begin. Instead of leaving the sport behind, he chose to build opportunities for children from his village-free of cost.

Shikalgar grew...