World Athletics Day will be celebrated across the world, on May 7. It is the accepted dictum that sports and exercise can help people avoid diseases and maintain their health. World Athletics Day encourages people to take up fitness exercises, especially athletics, to stay healthy. The World Athletics Day was the idea of the International Amateur Athletic Federation and was established in 1996 to raise awareness about physiological and psychological importance of sports. This year, the theme for the day is ‘Athletics for All – A New Beginning’.
In Goa, the culture of focusing on
improving one’s physical fitness is growing by the day. It is not unusual to
see Goans cycling or running with great passion in the morning or later in the
evening. The weekend of course, is a time to witness this great Goan
enthusiasm. Sales of running shoes, fancy cycles and garments have increased.
In the State, number of runners has increased over a period of time and so has
the number of long distance events.
Fatima De Sa has been a runner now for ten
years. She runs, swims and cycles. She started running to lose weight and now
easily runs 50 kilometres. Fatima says, “I have competed in the Ironman. I will
be completing 51 soon and intend to run as long as I live”. She looks forward
to waking up in the morning and going on her runs or cycling sessions which
usually last an hour. She says this is something every woman should do because
it made life so much more enjoyable. As a mother, she says she encourages her
children to get involved too.
Another very enthusiastic runner who has
achieved much in his life is Neil D’Silva. At 30, he has already participated
in four Ironman around the world and is now a certified coach. He started
running at 22 because he felt he was slightly overweight. Neil started off on
the treadmill in his local gymkhana and grew to like it so much that he started
running outside. He started with the 10 km run and then moved into longer
distances. Neil says, “Discipline is what will make you or break your life. I
am very particular about my diet. No sugar, no grains, no roti. It is important
to be watchful”. He says the number of amateur runners had increased in the
state and he was involved in training or providing advice to a number of them.
Dinesh Heda is a name that comes up prominently when one talks
about marathons in the State or more specifically the Goa marathon. He took up
running at 41 in 2011 after spending years playing squash. Dinesh said, “I go
in for a balanced diet, largely vegetarian. When I step out of the house, I am
open to seafood. Since I do ultra-running, I am careful of my diet and
training. Unless I don’t start with a workout in the morning, I don’t feel
good.” The culture of physical fitness has percolated to the next generation.
His fourteen year old son scuba dives and cycles.
The
culture of physical fitness is certainly increasing in the state and that can
only mean good news for everyone.