The steady rise of Fauja Singh as a centenarian marathon runner seems to have inspired a host of other potential Masters runners in the country. One such runner just created history by winning three gold medals in the above 100 category at the prestigious Americas Masters Games event. Man Kaur’s highlight performances came in the Shot Put and Javelin events where she threw close to 20m, which was only 3 metres away from the Masters record. However, the surprise medal came in the 100 m dash, despite the fact that she was almost 20 seconds behind the second last competitor, who was 49-years old.
The medal was awarded to Kaur as she was the only female participant above the 100 plus age category in the event.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda from Vancouver, she said, “There is no secret to running at 100, it’s not some magic herb that you take and you become fit overnight. The same basic aspects that work for an athlete or even a normal person at a younger age, works at my age as well. A healthy diet and good exercise, I do not take any extra protein as it could be harmful at my age. I run almost 20 kms a day once in the morning then evening, it’s become a lifestyle for me. Earlier I had the worst diet, but when I was 93, I was diagnosed with a heart problem. Since then, I decided I will live life on my own terms and the terms are to prove to myself that I can become an athlete.”
When Kaur crossed the finish line, all her competitors didn’t waste any time in giving her a grand ovation. Some even took her up on their shoulders and paraded her athletic success across the track. Her son, 78-year old Gurdev Singh also participates in the Masters events, but always knew that his mother would be successful in her category. He said, “ I used to compete in the masters events here in Canada, since I was 50. I moved here at a very young age, and asked mother to come live with me around two and a half decades back, which she disagreed to. She would like to tell you that she underwent a serious condition, but considering her age she is yet to face any serious ailments. So, after her minor operation around seven to eight years back, I informed her about this category and she began running.”
I wake up everyday at 6 to train and treat every second gained as a victory: Kaur
Kaur wakes up at 6 am every morning in her home town of Chandigarh and runs short distances until her breath swells up. She repeats the process for close to two hours before eventually tiring out. She added, “I love winning, it’s a feeling that liberates, makes me happy. So whenever I run even for 10 to 20 seconds longer, that’s like a victory for me. I don’t even think of medals, even these small wins are big achievements for me. My next goal is to finsh under the 35 second mark and inch closer to the 100+ record.”
Having won 20 medals so far across five Masters editions, Kaur is a veteran in her category. Olympic silver medallist and ambassador of the event, Charmaine Cooks said, “Her involvement has helped runners from across our region Canada and the USA to take up running. They come here to watch their sons/daughters participate and realise that if they are fit and healthy, why can’t the run the same amount?”
The Masters Games takes place every four years, with several regional events taking place as well. The Americas Masters Games is the first scheduled event for North America, A surprising stat, the average age of all competitors was 49, 51 years lesser than Kaur. Now 20 medals old, Kaur has set sights to win gold at the Masters international event next years and wishes to hear the Indian national anthem play, when she stands on the podium. She added, “The thing is its not just about me, when my son asked me to move to Canada, I didn’t. There is a reason for that. I love India, I lover how it is and nothing can change that. Next year, I want to listen to the national anthem when I’m on the podium.”
