India, Sept. 23 -- To the world, Mirabai Chanu is the grinning weightlifter capable of pulling weights four times her body weight. For the children determined to follow in her footsteps at Weightlifting Warriors-the academy in Uttar Pradesh's Modinagar where Mirabai is based for the last couple of years-she is just Mira didi.

Mira didi admonishes them when they slack off in training, playfully threatens to hit them with a rod, orders a Manipuri feast for them each time she returns with a medal, and does a movie night with them every Saturday. In return, the kids, largely in the 8-14 age bracket, pen heartfelt Teacher's Day greetings for her, choreograph dance and skit performances on her birthday, and promise to carry forward her legacy ...