India’s Ninja on wheels: Shreyasi Joshi is changing the game in Roller Skating

For 20-year-old Shreyasi Joshi, Asian Roller Skating Championships gold wasn’t just a medal—it was a moment she had dreamed of since childhood.

The Pune-based skater etched her name in history earlier this week, clinching the top podium spot at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in South Korea, becoming a beacon of India’s rising presence in inline freestyle skating.

Her joy was uncontainable. “I kept the medals beside my bed and fell asleep looking at them,” she said, beaming. “I actually couldn’t sleep easily that night, I was just so happy.”

“It’s still sinking in, but it feels great. I heard the national anthem on the podium twice, and that was a great feeling for me,” Shreyasi Joshi told The Bridge on returning from South Korea.

“For so many years I’ve waited for a moment like this, and it’s just been like the best day ever,” she expressed.

Before the Asian Championship, Shreyasi tested herself in Milan. The result wasn't favourable. Both tournaments were only a week apart, but had contrasting results.

“I had only a week in between 2 competitions in Milan and Korea. My performance was not that good in Milan, and I had barely a week to correct everything,” she pointed out.

From playground to podium

Shreyasi started skating when she was just three.

Her younger sister, Swarali, joined after watching her every evening from the sidelines.

“I used to go to the little kids’ playground, but I would always watch the older skaters. I thought it looked so cool and interesting. I told my mom I wanted to try it, and she set me up with roller skating. Swarali used to come with me to practice every day and would just sit and watch. Eventually, she wanted to join too,” Shreyasi remembered.

Shreyasi is pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering at MIT World Peace University, Pune. With flexible attendance policies, accommodating professors, and a sports department that celebrates her success, Shreyasi credits her success to her college.

“I’m barely in college — maybe one, two, or three months each semester,” she says, laughing.

“But my college has been incredibly supportive. This win wouldn’t have been possible without their support,” she added.

Understanding the sport

Shreyasi competes in two formats: Classic and Battle. The former, also her favorite, combines technical tricks and artistic expression, choreographed to music, and the latter is purely technical, fast-paced, with 30-second rounds with tricks on one wheel (toe or heel).

“Classic is more fun. You get to choose your music, design the costume, and choreograph everything. It’s a whole process. Battle is based on how well we perform the tricks on one wheel — sitting, standing, jumping, and things like that,” she highlighted.

For her winning Classic routine, she chose instrumental music from Naruto Shippuden and choreographed a Ninja-inspired theme. She even designed her costume, which was brought to life by a studio in her city.

“My vibe for my classic performance was Ninja. And this year, I designed my costume, and a studio (in Pune) created the outfit. I’m really glad that was possible,” she said.

Her regimen is rigorous: morning and evening skating sessions of up to three hours, along with Pilates sessions twice or thrice a week to build the strength and balance required for single-wheel tricks.

Work in progress

Since the 2023 Asian Championship in China, Shreyasi has been steadily refining her craft with each competition.

“At the last Asian Championship in 2023, which was held in China, I lacked a lot in the technical part. My tricks on the toe weren’t that strong, and even artistically, I wasn’t as good as the other skaters,” she admits.

Rather than being disheartened, Shreyasi worked on her skills and trained with intent.

“I learned a lot from that experience, and I’ve been improving ever since. This time, both my technical and artistic scores were really good,” she asserted.

India on the rise

Shreyasi’s success is part of a larger wave — India’s growing presence in international skating. While the country already dominates in artistic and speed skating, inline freestyle is still emerging.

“Five or six years ago, we were winning a few medals,” she noted. “This year, I’ve lost count. India has performed exceptionally well. In artistic, Indian skaters dominate, and in speed skating too. But in inline freestyle, we are still growing.”

The World Games await

With the Asian Championship conquered, her focus now shifts to the World Games in China starting August 7.

Shreyasi is aware of the challenge from European countries, China, and Chinese Taipei — regions with long-established skating cultures.

But Shreyasi isn’t intimidated. “The judges now know I can perform well. I’m working hard and I hope I can give it everything I’ve got,” she said.

Shreyasi Joshi is not just competing; she’s defining India’s place on the global stage. And with the World Games on the horizon, she’s just getting started.