When Vandana Rao lines up memories of her life, they unfold like lanes on a track — each one leading her to a new destination. From sporting alongside legends like P. T. Usha, Shiny Abraham and M.D. Valsamma, to switching careers from banking to global tourism, her story is one of resilience, re-invention and quiet strength.
At Clean India Journal’s Speak Clean studio, Vandana walked in not as the young athlete who once stunned Los Angeles in 1984, but as a poised professional guiding groups of Indian tourists across Europe. Yet, her conversations carried the same competitive spark and the discipline of an Olympian… the humility of someone who has lived through India’s sporting struggles and triumphs. Excerpts of her interaction with Clean India Journal’s Nandakumar Marar
The first time I stepped onto a synthetic track was at the national camp in Bengaluru. Back home in my village, we never had such facilities. To me, running was pure joy — we ran because we loved it, not for fame or money,” she recalls, her voice tinged with nostalgia.
Her lane may have changed, but the runner in her has not slowed. Today, as she leads groups of 40-45 travellers across continents, she draws upon the same lessons sport had once drilled into her — discipline, patience and the strength to make a team out of strangers.
Running into History
Born in Mangaluru at a time when girls were expected to stay home and marry young, Vandana had to fight for every lap she ran. Teachers had to persuade her father to let her compete. “In our family, girls did not play sport, forget travelling for competitions. It took a lot of convincing,” she recalls. That conviction changed history: by 1984, she was at the Los Angeles Olympics, part of India’s first-ever women’s 4x400m relay squad to qualify for an Olympic final.
Stepping into the Olympic Village was overwhelming. “I was just awestruck, coming from a small village and suddenly surrounded by American and Nigerian athletes with their glamour and make-up. For us, it was pure joy to run,” she smiles. Their timing of 3 minutes 32.49 seconds was an Asian best, a record that stood for two decades.
From Track to Tour Bus
Life after athletics took her first to banking, where she spent 26 years with Corporation Bank and then, with a restless spirit seeking something new, into tourism. A weekend course in tour management changed her path yet again. “Sport teaches you to adapt, to read situations quickly. When I lead tourists across Europe, differences arise. The challenge is to make everyone feel like one big family. That is my relay team now,” she laughs.
Her itinerary often stretches from London through France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Italy. She coordinates meals, sightseeing and logistics with the precision of an athlete counting every stride.
Clean Lessons Abroad
What strikes most about Europe is hygiene. “Most countries charge you for toilet use and that money goes into keeping the facilities spotless. Even in places where toilets are free, like France or Italy, they are always clean,” she observes. The comparison with India is inevitable.
Back home, she admits, there has been progress. “When we trained and travelled for school games, washrooms were a nightmare. Today, if you travel by bus from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, there are stops with fairly clean toilets and they charge just Rs. 7 or 10. That is little compared to Europe, but the quality has improved so much.”
For her, hygiene is not an isolated subject but a way of life. “Europeans do not litter, they do not spit and they protect their environment. Young travellers in my groups often come back impressed by these habits — punctuality, politeness, saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. We have improved in India too, but we must build it deeper into our culture.”
Memories, Then and Now
Travel often reconnects her with her past. “Every time I go to Rome, I look for the hotel where I had stayed as an athlete in 1987 for the World Championships. Cities change, places change, but memories do not.”
From that first synthetic track she ran on at the national camp in Bengaluru to today’s international stadiums, Vandana has witnessed how India’s sports infrastructure has evolved. She celebrates Neeraj Chopra’s Olympic triumphs with the pride of someone who knows the sacrifices behind the medals. “He is simple, focussed, hardworking. That is the spirit sport should always carry.”
Women, Then and Now
Coming from a conservative background, Vandana’s journey itself was a rebellion. “Most girls were married by 16 or 17. For me to travel across the world was unthinkable. But sport opened the doors.” She sees today’s women athletes as beneficiaries of those early battles. “Girls are more hardworking than men and now they have role models in every sport. That inspires me.”
Passing the Baton
Her life is shared with another Olympian — hockey player Joaquim Carvalho — and together they raised a son through the challenges of two demanding careers. She remains a strong advocate for children taking up sport. “It keeps them disciplined, focused and away from distractions. Even when my son was preparing for exams, I insisted he play an hour a day. My neighbours thought I was crazy. But that is how sport shapes you” said the recipient of the prestigious Arjuna award from Union Sports Ministry in 1987.
A Clean Finish
From the roar of stadiums to the hum of tourist buses, Vandana Rao has travelled far. Yet one thread runs through all her journeys — discipline, dignity and cleanliness, whether on the track, in her personal conduct, or in the streets of Europe the Tour Manager with SAS Global Reisen now navigates with groups of Indians in tow.
“We were clean athletes,” she says with quiet pride, recalling her Olympic days. “We ran because we loved it” said this athlete whose second consecutive Olympics appearance came at Seoul in 1988.
And she continues to carry that same clean spirit, one tour, one story and one memory at a time.