Abel Baretto
CANACONA: When age is just a number and you aren’t “burdened” by it, you can achieve new vistas! That’s exactly what 72-year-old Perpetua Fernandes E Jacques did. She broke barriers to reach new heights. Today, she’s an inspiration to all those women out there especially to those who feel they are “too old to move around”.
Jacques won 2 silver medals at the 38th National Masters Athletics Championship, 2017, held at Gachihowli stadium in Hyderabad recently.
She had an aptitude for sports and dramatics from a tender age, she was a regular participant in her school. She started acting in Tiatrs at the age of 12 doing various roles and has worked in 25 Tiatrs till now. When Herald visited her, the showcase in the living room displayed trophies and certificates galore won by her. Sports is in her genes and she has passed it on as a legacy to her sons, Albert and Wilfred and their 5 children. All are heavily into sports.
Jacques stated that due to encouragement and motivation and training given by her coach, Devi Gaonkar and her two sons, she could achieve this feat of clocking 20.17 and 44.71 seconds for 100m and 200m respectively and stood second winning two silver medals at the Masters Athletics Meet for Women in the 70-plus category.
She was felicitated recently by Ramesh Tawadkar in Canacona. She was also given a shield in 1995 by Dr Wilfred D’souza for highest cash collected for tuberculosis campain continuously from 1988 to 1995.
She was also felicitated by Minister for Art and Culture Dayanant Mandrekar at Assagao, Bardez in 2015.
At an event held in Fatorda Stadium, Margao she secured first place in short put, 1st place in 100m and 3rd place in 200m at the Athletics Federation India meet in women 65 plus category in 2013.
She has to her credit 1st prize for all Canacona Rangoli competition also.
She is also a regular contributor of Konkani poems to a monthly newsletter Disha of local church in Canacona. She was felicitated by Canacona Kalakar Songs in 2013.
Her interests are wide and varied. She had contested the Canacona Muncipal council election, but lost by a couple of votes in the last election.
She is also known for her social service and is still remembered in the Canacona govt hospital even though she retired about a decade back after putting in 35years of selfless service.
She attributes her health and success to her discipline and hard work which has given her a lot of fame all around Canacona.
When Herald spoke to her coach Devi Gaonkar, she congratulated Jaques and added that she is a real fighter and is a motivation to younger and older generation. She said Jacques’ fitness is exemplary. Her hardworking and punctuality are her assets. “She used to come from Canacona to Bambolim, Panjim twice a week for practice always on time with no excuses. “If she gets proper facitlities and nutrition, she will surely bring in more laurels to Canacona and Goa. We, the citizens of Goa need to encourage such women who in turn would be an asset to our state,” Gaonkar concluded.
