Wakad residents Journey in becoming a Running Addict
Stumble, hustle or fall but win the race…….
‘’Out on the roads, there is fitness and self-discovery and the persons we were destined to be.’’
(Rupali Rajput with her husband Deepak)
Defying the odds to be the best athlete in her town, a woman, mother of two and a house wife broke the shackles of the Indian society. The name referred here is of Rupali Deepak Rajput, who defying the odds made her one of the prominent runner.
How did she manage it? An indomitable spirit of achieving, strong will and unaltered determination kept things going on for her. Running for Rupali has become a profession and a motivation to achieve something throughout the day. .Alongside having a supportive family, she managed to follow her rigid schedule which initiated with 5 am morning runs. ‘This liberty allowed me to sneak in more time for the developing my passion of running. Now my day starts at 5 am with a run’ she adds. She have undivided focus towards this expedition, she has gained laurels which includes PRBM 2016 for 21k run, completed in 2 hours and 43 mins, PWHM 2017 in 2 hours and 28 mins. Her current personal best timing for a 10km run is 63mins.
What inspires her? To living a healthy lifestyle and the motivation that comes along from the zest and admiration her family and kids look her upto. In her words ‘All these feathers in my cap are for my kids who look at me with immense pride. They are inspired by me in staying fit. My 8 year old daughter is engaged in yoga and my 14 year old son is engrossed in cycling every morning.’ How a small cause can lead to a big revolution and an optimistic approach towards knowing and improving the society in the best way she can.The unquenchable thirst for achieving more and more and attaining perfection makes her practice day to day. Mornings full of energy and fresh breeze lets her overcome biggest benchmarks. The approach towards her running floating across people, levels up her stamina.
What hurdles did she face? Perseverance and persistence never left her side, although having suffered through a long recovery time for severe calf injury. She narrates ‘My doctor did not allow me to run at all. This injury totally halted my passion for running. For over two months I did not run which also made me gain weight. Everything came to a standstill and I realised that I cannot stop running’. She was denied running forever yet she reverted back to her old self with a passionate belief that she could overcome anything if running was at stake.
Building a big, life-changing habit is difficult: it’s hard to keep the willpower going long enough to see a change. Rupali stands as an inspiration and even the obstacles brought out the best in her. Hope she strives be those heroes that people could look upto.
-Gratitude
Team Smart Suburbs