Vasanthi Okay. with the medals she has gained through the years.
| Photograph Credit score: SURESH ALLEPPEY
Vasanthi Okay., a 75-year-old lady from Varanad, close to Cherthala, in Alappuzha, has skilled a journey to success that was removed from easy. As a baby, she confronted stiff opposition from her household, who, adhering to societal norms of the time, didn’t enable her to take part in sports activities. Nonetheless, in her later years, Vasanthi made up for misplaced time by competing in State, Nationwide and worldwide masters athletic championships, successful a number of medals alongside the best way.
Final week, the septuagenarian was chosen for this 12 months’s Vayosevana award, instituted by the Social Justice division for excellence in sports activities. “The popularity is actually the icing on the cake,” she says.
Vasanthi took up athletics critically after becoming a member of McDowell’s distillery unit at Varanad in 1982.
“Throughout my childhood, I used to be enthusiastic about sports activities, however my dad and mom didn’t enable me to coach or take part in occasions, as most households didn’t allow ladies to participate in sports activities on the time. That stated, I participated in a couple of competitions throughout my college days with out informing my dad and mom. Nonetheless, my sports activities profession took off after becoming a member of McDowell’s,” says Ms. Vasanthi.
Initially, she competed within the company-organised sports activities meets, earlier than advancing to nationwide and worldwide masters athletics occasions. After taking voluntary retirement in 2003, she started taking part in additional sports activities meets.
In 2016, Vasanthi gained silver medals within the 5 km race stroll and a pair of,000 m steeplechase at a global masters occasion in Singapore. She adopted this success with bronze medals in the identical occasions at a meet in China the following 12 months. Returning to the worldwide stage in 2023 in Dubai, she secured gold within the 3 km stroll and bronze medals within the 200 m and 400 m dash occasions.
Within the Worldwide Masters Athletics Championship held in Ayodhya in June this 12 months, the septuagenarian gained gold medals within the 5 km stroll and lengthy bounce, demonstrating her enduring athletic prowess. “I’ve been taking part in masters championships for greater than three a long time. I stroll no less than 3-4 km each morning. I’m wanting ahead to imminent occasions,” says Ms. Vasanthi, noting that she plans to focus extra on race strolling sooner or later.
Praveen G. Panicker, the native ward member, describes her as a “function mannequin for all the area, particularly the kids.”
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Printed – September 16, 2024 06:30 pm IST
