Born on April 19, 1977, Anju Bobby George is a retired Indian athlete. She made history in 2003 when she won a bronze medal in long jump at the World Championships in Athletics held in Paris, becoming the first Indian athlete ever to win a medal in the event with a jump of 6.70 metres (22.0 ft). Anju was honored with the Arjuna Award in 2002, Khel Ratna in 2003, and Padma Shri in 2004 for her remarkable achievements. She also achieved the 5th position in the long jump event with a personal best of 6.83 meters (22.4 ft) at the 2004 Athens Olympics. In March 2021, she was awarded the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award for being the best athlete in India. Anju currently serves as the vice-president of the Athletics Federation of India.
Anju was born into a Syrian Orthodox family in the Kochuparambil family of Cheeranchira village, Changanassery taluk, Kottayam, Kerala. Her father’s name is K. T. Markose.