Monika Athare is all smiles with her gold medal after the women's half marathon at CST yesterday. Pic/Noel D'Souza

Nashik-Born Monika Athare gave her own sordid story the perfect kick bagging gold in the women's half marathon at the Mumbai Marathon yesterday. Athare, who was thrown out of the National camp in 2013 due to a knee injury by Russian athletics coach Nikolai Snesarev, clocked 1:19:13seconds, and besides pocketing a cash prize of R5 lakh, also received a bear hug from Bollywood actor John Abraham.