I had never imagined that I would be a Poster Boy in the upcoming 2023 Delhi Half Marathon. This is a real trophy for my positive mindset, willpower and hard work. Every cell of my body thanks God Almighty for his Grace!
I remember the 10 long years when I was suffering from a major knee ailment of the second level of injury (ACL and major meniscus tear) which kept me away from participating in the sports activities I was very passionate about!
The severe knee pain and the fear of twisting my knee posed a big mental setback that traumatized me to such an extent that I refrained from most physical activities for a very long time!
Finally, based on my doctor’s advice, I got the Orthoscopic surgery done on my right knee. It was just a week before the first Corona lockdown was imposed. Most people of my generation had never experienced a lockdown before that!
The real challenges followed after my surgery that neither my doctor nor I had foreseen. As part of the post operative care, I was supposed to get Physiotherapy sessions, walk or work out in a gym in order to gain muscle strength.
These were most essential, but I simply could not do any of these. This setback aggravated my stress and negatively impacted my self-esteem; however, the looming fear of the dreaded pandemic kept me indoors!
Gradually, my strong willpower urged me to do the best that was possible under the circumstances! I started my workout and weight training exercises at home with the bare minimum resources to strengthen my knee muscles.
I chose to walk in the Central Park between 4:30 and 5:30 AM when no one was around. I did not let doubt plague my mind; gradually, I started recovering! As luck would have it, I contracted the dreaded Corona virus during the second and the more deadly wave. This was a terrible setback, both physically as well as mentally!
I began to wonder whether I would ever regain the strength of my knee. In order to extricate myself from this crippling doubt, I decided to start training for the 2022 Delhi Half Marathon for 10 kms. I consulted my Doctor, Dr. Shiv Chowksey, Sports Injury Specialist, and started sprinting, cycling, swimming and engaging in other forms of training with a positive mindset, discipline, diligence and focused action.
Taking a leap of faith, I threw myself into odd situations to bounce back with positivity, more willpower that enabled me to overcome the odd mental fatigue and trauma that often crossed my mind during that period!
All my efforts and dedication were rewarded when I won the 10 kms Delhi Half Marathon with flying colours. I am grateful to God Almighty, my doctors and my family who played an important role in my becoming the poster boy for the 2023 Delhi Half Marathon – a dream come true for me!
No problem is insurmountable when one has a positive mindset and the will to achieve the impossible!
