Many people say that ‘Age Is Just A Number’, but today we will share a story of a woman who proved it! At the National Open Masters Athletics Championships in Vadodara, Gujarat, a 105-year-old woman from Haryana established a remarkable milestone by winning a gold medal and being the oldest person to do so. She completed the 100m race in just 45.40 seconds!
Rambai has been travelling from one place to another with her granddaughter Sharmila Sangwan. Her granddaughter is her number one fan and supporter! In November of last year, she made her running debut in Varanasi. Since then, she has participated in competitions in Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala, winning numerous medals.
In Vadodara, though Rambai was the only participant (in the above 85 categories), she took a chance! She not only won the medal but also broke a world record! She finished the 100m race in 45.40 seconds, she broke the record of 101-year-old Maan Kaur who ran the 100m in 74 seconds and won gold at the World Masters. Along with this, Rambai even finished the 200m run on Sunday in about 1 minute 52.17 seconds!
At 105 years, super grandma sprints new 100m record. #Rambai ran alone in #Vadodara as there was no competitor above 85 competing at the National Open Masters Athletics Championship pic.twitter.com/iCIPTOkuFt
— TOI Bengaluru (@TOIBengaluru) June 21, 2022
Rambai is a dreamer! She dreams to run and win medals not only in India but internationally also! The superpower that got her here is pure buffalo milk and ghee that she never forgets to consume. She said she is very strict with her diet, she eats 500gm of curd and 250gm of ghee daily along with a fair share of churma! When asked why she never competed in races earlier, she said “I was always ready, but nobody gave me an opportunity before this!”
Rambai, who is originally from the village of Kadma, 150 kilometres from New Delhi, first became interested in running while playing in the village’s fields. As she develops into a more serious runner, she also starts dressing the part, donning track trousers and running shoes. The 1917-born Rambai entered the above-100 category as the only contestant in her discipline, won the gold medal, and set a record. Rambai has witnessed two World Wars, the partition of India and now a pandemic, she is a living legend!
