What’s the story?
Indian female centenarian runner Man Kaur made history by winning a gold medal at the World Masters Games in Auckland on Monday. She clocked a time of 1 minute 14 seconds to finish the 100-meter sprint. This was the 17th gold medal in the Indian athlete's late-blooming career.
After finishing the race, Kaur told reporters that she will go on and not stop, as quoted from Times of India, "I enjoyed it and am very, very happy. I'm going to run again, I'm not going to give up. I will participate, there's no full stop."
In case you did not know...
The Masters Games takes place every four years, with several regional events taking place as well. The event is governed by the International Masters Games Association and does not require any country delegation for participation. It is open to anyone who are over the age of 35, while for some sports the minimum age criterion is between 25 and 35, depending on the sport.
Man Kaur is a veteran in her category having won 20 medals so far across five Masters editions, 106-year-old Hidekichi Miyazaki of Japan, also known as the ‘Golden Bolt’ holds the 100m record with a time of 29.83 seconds.
The heart of the matter
Kaur took up athletics eight years ago, at the age of 93. Her son, 78-year old Gurdev Singh, who also participates in the Masters events, was the first to suggest her to compete on the international games circuit. Now the mother and son duo take part in dozens of masters athletics meets all around the globe.
At the age of 93, Kaur was diagnosed with a heart ailment which prompted her to become an athlete. At this age, Kaur runs almost 20 kilometers a day once in the morning and maintains a very healthy and simple diet to keep herself fit.
What’s next?
After winning the 100m sprint, Kaur is now planning to compete in the 200m sprint, two kilograms shot put and 400-gram javelin in Auckland.
Author’s Take
Man Kaur truly shows that sport is for anyone and that age is just a number. Her victories also show how success can be attained if there exists an indomitable determination and self-belief.
