Rising Star: Dutee Chand Is On TIME 100 Next

India’s fastest woman and pride of Odisha, Dutee Chand has featured in the TIME 100 Next, a list of rising stars who are shaping the future of business, entertainment, sports, politics, health, science and activism.

“On the track, Dutee Chand sprints. Off the track, she fights. The 100-m runner from India is preparing to make her second Olympic appearance, in 2020, in Tokyo. In July, she became the first Indian sprinter to win the 100-m at the World University Games. But back in 2014, Chand was effectively banned from competition because of her high natural testosterone levels. She appealed against the verdict and won a precedent-setting case. This year, Chand announced she was in a same-sex relationship, making her the first openly gay athlete in India’s history,” is how the magazine describes her.

Vogue India had earlier named her the nation’s Sportsperson of the Year.

Dutee has expressed gratitude to TIME for acknowledging her fight. “I am delighted to receive this recognition from TIME. I believe in gender equality and will continue to fight for the rights of young girls and women in sports and in society,”

“The TIME 100 Next members all have grand ambitions, and they know they may face even greater setbacks. But by and large, they are driven by hope,” said TIME Executive Editor Dan Macsai, who oversees the TIME 100 franchise. “They are eager to defy the odds—and fight for a better future.”