In the month of January, 2008 at the age of 51, P. Venkatraman (pictured) laced up his shoes and set out to run the Mumbai Marathon which he had been running since its inception.
Finishing the marathon would be an accomplishment anyone will be proud of but his story is even more impressive when you learn what he had undergone just a year before.
“In the morning of February 3, 2007, I was lying naked on a cold metal table, my entire body was being shaved for an open heart bypass surgery,” says Venkatraman, a Mumbai-based chartered accountant. He was a serial entrepreneur, professor, freemason, motivational speaker, author and calls himself ‘running evangelist’.
But close to a decade since his surgery, he has completed a jaw-dropping 105 half marathons. He now devotes his energy and time promoting running for good health and also helps heart patients and other post-operative patients, hoping to inspire them through recovery. “I’m a survivor. I want to help motivate people to reach their goals,” he adds.
Overcoming adversities in life is about giving it your all. Traversing the tough parts takes unwavering faith in yourself and a certain confidence. We are the only ones who can change our lives for the better and lives of those surrounding us. It’s never too late to make a fresh start and that applies to being active too. So why not set ourselves a challenge and do something we can be proud of. Because you can either sit around all day and wait for life to happen or you can go outside now and kickstart your new life. There’s no point fretting about yesterday; it’s over and you can’t recall it. Don’t be concerned with tomorrow, as it is not here, yet. “I manage to find peace within myself whilst I’m running. Running makes me feel like I’m ready for anything. We can make a commitment to live healthy just for today. Pretty soon, the days will turn into weeks, months into years and changes will become part of your lifestyle. Stop wishing for a better life and start creating one for yourself. That’s what I’ve been doing for decades — one day at a time.” Running is not just about us, but sharing the joys of running with hundreds of others and helping them overcome fears and doubts that usually become overwhelming hurdles. Helping them put one foot in front of the other is a step closer to feeling better.
But it’s also about silencing that critical voice in our minds that tells us we can’t. When we overcome that nagging voice in a running environment... it’s a rather major victory. Every straining muscle, every aching joint heals and you’re able to summon every last drop of energy left.
As Helen Keller once said — “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
