53-year-old Kalyan woman wins national level championship

Kalyan: For 53-year-old Beena Krishnakumar, a Kalyan resident who bagged first prize in 60 and 100 metres running and 5km walking at a national level championship in Badlapur earlier this week, the accolade made her childhood dream come true

Kalyan: For 53-year-old Beena Krishnakumar, a Kalyan resident who bagged first prize in 60 and 100 metres running and 5km walking at a national level championship in Badlapur earlier this week, the accolade made her childhood dream come true.

A grandmother now, Beena, could not pursue her dream of becoming an athlete due to lack of support, now, she made it possible through her dedication and regular practice. (HT Photo)

A grandmother now, Beena, could not pursue her dream of becoming an athlete due to lack of support, now, she made it possible through her dedication and regular practice.

“It was in 2005 I realised I can be a good athlete when I participated in a national level competition organised by the Mumbai university for non -teaching staff. Since childhood I wanted to become an athlete however, I never pursued it due to lack of support and my responsibility as a wife and mother,” said Beena, who also works as a clerk at Model college, Kalyan.

What motivated her to continue her journey in sports in the coming time, is a 105-year-old Rambai, the oldest participant at this week’s championship, who came all the way from Haryana to participate. “I was happy winning the championship at the same time I was motivated to see a 105-year-old participant who was so active. I have decided to continue this journey as a sportsperson in future,” added Beena.

What made Beena win the championship among many others who participated from across the country, was her regular practice and constant efforts to be fit. Although she started the practice before the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdown had affected her as she could not move out.

“I chose to practice on my building terrace on a regular basis. Walking is a must for me, and I do it every day without fail. At the same time, I do other exercises and running too to keep myself fit and achieve the goal. I want to be a part of more such competitions in the coming days and set an example that age is just a number,” said Beena.

The championship was organised by senior Olympian Parag Patil with Thane district athlete association and Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council at Badlapur. Over 2300 participants took part in different categories of athletics like running, walking, high jump, javelin throw. These participants came all the way from nine different states of the country which are Haryana, Telangana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra. “The championship was open for all. The age group was from Under 12 to above 105. This championship was organised in a way to ensure there is motivation among the young groups to take up sports as a major part of their lifestyle. Which is why we kept it open for all age groups so each participant gets to learn from other participants,” said Parag Patil, who has won 17 medals for the country.