There was a time when Nabha’s Harjinder Kaur doubted whether weightlifting would change her physique and wondered if she should continue with the sport. On Tuesday, Harjinder won the silver medal in the women’s 69 kg event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. This is her second Commonwealth Games medal, having won bronze in 2022.Hailing from Mehas village in Nabha, Harjinder is the daughter of Sahib Singh, a small farmer who owns a few cattle.Harjinder’s sporting journey began in Class XI. She initially played kabaddi for about two years before her first coach, Paramjit Sharma of Punjabi University, recognised her exceptional strength and encouraged her to take up tug of war, and later weightlifting — a decision that transformed her life.The transition, however, was not without hesitation. “At one stage, Harjinder told us that she didn’t want to continue with weightlifting as it would make her body look different,” her father told The Tribune. “My wife and I told her not to think that way. We encouraged her to focus on building her future through the sport she loved,” he added.Just hours before stepping onto the competition platform on Tuesday, Harjinder called her brother Pritpal Singh. “She told me she was fully fit and confident of winning a medal. Her confidence proved right as she returned home with another Commonwealth Games medal,” Pritpal saidHarjinder was recently honoured with the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award by the Punjab Government.Her coach Paramjit Singh credits her success to discipline and unwavering focus. “She was always dedicated. She never missed a single training session and even continued practising during the Covid pandemic. She never lost focus,” he said.Harjinder’s family also struggled financially for years. Meeting the expenses of her training, diet and travel to competitions was a constant challenge. Determined not to let financial constraints crush her dreams, Sahib Singh took loans to ensure she received every opportunity to excel.Harjinder’s childhood was equally demanding. Every day, she cycled nearly 5 km from Mehas village to Nabha to attend school. “I still remember how her bicycle would often get punctured. Instead of complaining, she would quietly push it all the way home because she understood our financial situation,” her father recalled.After school, Harjinder would help her father with farm work, including operating the chaff cutter to prepare fodder for the family’s cattle. She believes the physically demanding work helped build her arm strength.Despite severe financial hardships, education remained a priority for the family. “Our father always encouraged us to study, irrespective of our financial condition. Even when money was scarce, our parents assured us they would do everything possible to support our education and dreams,” Pritpal said.Today, Harjinder is employed with the Income Tax Department, while her brother is also earning. Years of struggle have finally given way to stability. An emotional Sahib Singh summed up the family’s journey with a smile: “Hun koi fikar nai mainu (Now I have no worries).”