With the family living in Thodupuzha, the small town in Kerala, it was more than 5 hours drive to the nearest cycling track at Trivandrum for the girl to train.
Professor Viswambaran works at Viswa Jyothi Engineering College, Thodupuzha.
Born at Thodupuzha village in Idukki district of Kerala on 8 May 1965, Shiny became interested in athletics as a child but developed her skills after joining the sports division in Kottayam.