When Surbhi Misra was a little girl growing up in Jaipur, India, she struggled to do what most children never think twice about: breathe. Diagnosed with severe asthma at a young age, she spent her early years in and out of doctor's offices, managing a condition that left her winded after even mild exertion.

The advice she received from her physicians was counterintuitive but decisive: play sports. Not despite the asthma, but because of it. Regular physical activity, they explained, could strengthen her lungs and help manage her symptoms over time.

It was a prescription that would change her life — and eventually, the landscape of Indian squash.

Finding the Court

Jaipur has a rich squash culture, and young Surbhi gravitated toward the sport almost immediately. There was something about the enclosed court — the intensity, the strategy, the constant movement — that matched her competitive spirit. What she lacked in lung capacity, she made up for in determination.

"In the beginning, I would have to stop during practice because I couldn't breathe," Misra has recalled in interviews. "But every week, I could go a little longer. The court became the place where I felt strongest, not weakest."

She trained relentlessly, adapting her playing style to work within the constraints of her condition. While other players might rely on extended rallies and endurance, Misra developed a game built on precision, anticipation, and finishing points quickly. Her asthma didn't disappear — she carried an inhaler to every match — but it gradually became something she managed rather than something that defined her.

Rising Through the Ranks

Misra's talent took her from local tournaments to the national stage and then to international competition. In 2010, she was called up to the Indian squash squad for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi after star player Dipika Pallikal fell ill. Stepping onto that stage — representing her country at a major international event — was a moment Misra had once thought impossible.

That same year, she reached her career-best world ranking of 79th. For a player who had been told as a child that intense physical activity might be beyond her, the achievement was extraordinary.

Beyond the Court

What makes Misra's story resonate beyond sports is what she has done since stepping back from competitive play. Now serving as Vice President of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), she has dedicated herself to growing the sport in a country where it has historically received limited attention and funding.

She founded the Surbhi Misra Sports Foundation, which works to identify and develop young squash talent, particularly among children who — like her — might face physical or economic barriers to competitive athletics. The foundation provides coaching, equipment, and access to courts for promising young players from underserved communities.

"I know what it feels like to be told you can't," Misra has said. "I want every child with a dream and a limitation to know that the limitation doesn't get the final word."

A Story for International Women's Day — and Every Day

Misra's story was highlighted during International Women's Day celebrations in March 2026, featured prominently across Indian media as an example of resilience, courage, and the transformative power of sport. But her impact extends far beyond a single day of recognition.

In a country of 1.4 billion people, where sporting opportunities remain unevenly distributed and conditions like asthma can quietly close doors before they ever open, Surbhi Misra stands as proof that the body's limitations and the spirit's possibilities are two very different things.

She didn't just overcome asthma. She used it as a starting line.