Her mother Vinita Singh had a passion for athletics. She had a desire to become a successful athlete. The desire could not be fulfilled. Even before crossing adolescence, Vinita had to abide by male-dominant society's unofficial dictum, accepting the marriage. 

But fortune was not with her as she turned out to be a single mother, bringing up her two daughters and a son. Her courage, patience, and determination facilitated her to offer a tremendous fighting spirit against all odds. She brought up her children with the help of a small tailoring business. It was also a time when her family could hardly even afford three square meals. Despite the despair, Vinita always encouraged Shaili to join sports and she started participating in running competitions in school but barefooted. Her mother could not afford shoes. 

Shaili Singh remembers each and every moment of her childhood struggle. She still can visualize the days when her mother used to weep after watching Shaili returning home from school competitions with so many wounds on her legs for running barefoot. 

Speaking from Bangalore over the phone on Thursday, Shaili rode on a time machine saying, "My mother had the desire to become a successful athlete. Her wish could not be fulfilled as she was married at an early age. But she never stopped encouraging me to join athletics despite such dire financial distress. Her unbelievable spirit to do every day's hard work for nurturing us has been my only inspiration. She wants me to reach the level that she used to wish as an athlete. She wants me to establish my identity in my profession. I am on that mission to achieve my mother's unfulfilled desire."

The 19-year-old girl from Jhansi is already an entrant in the stardom in Indian athletics fraternity after the silver medal in Under-20 World Championship, jumping 6.59 meters and then the bronze medal in her maiden international competition in the senior-level Seiko Golden Grand Prix held in Japan a couple of days ago. Still, Shaili informed she speaks to her mother every day. She divulged, "After my bronze medal in Japan, my mother sounded so happy while speaking over the phone that it increased my boost again." 

The long jumper has already attained another wish silently along with the medals. She revealed, "I have stopped mother from continuing her tailoring business, asking her to take rest."

Shaili is happy with her maiden international bronze medal as well as several gold medals in national-level competitions. But she does not seem complacent at all. She added, "I am fortunate that I was spotted by two legends, Anju Bobby George madam, and Robert Bobby George sir. They are not only my teachers all of us who are here at the Anju Bobby George Foundation training center are indebted to them." 

Shali dreams of an Olympics medal and Neeraj Chopra's gold in the Tokyo Olympics has given her the boost. She once said, "Why not a girl can run in a competition if the boys can do so?" Similarly, Shaili uttered, "If Neeraj Chopra can win the gold medal in the Olympics why not me?"