Inspiring Track Record

A trained engineer, an entrepreneur, a triathlete and the first and the only Asian to compete at the Ultraman (endurance race) held in Canada in 2009, Anu Vaidyanathan believes that life is about endurance. She talks to Madhavi Gosukonda about her passion in sports

From being a student who cycled to school, Anu Vaidyanathan has come a long way, both professionally and personally. She currently runs a company, PatNMarks, which specialises in Intellectual Property Consulting. Vaidyanathan did a PhD in record time of 26 months from the University of Canterbury in Electrical Engineering. She has served as a member of faculty at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Ropar and Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. She talks about her passion in sports

Q- How did you make the transition into endurance sports?

Making the transition has to be gradual. I spent hours playing outdoors in school and participated in swimming, running and cycling in college. My transition into endurance sports has been over a period of 10 years. One needs dedication and intensive training before joining marathon events. The duration varies from person to person. You need to respect what your body is telling you and not push it beyond its limit.

Q- What was the biggest difficulty you faced as a sportswoman?

I think the biggest challenge is the stereotypes that sportswomen face. A swimming coach once told me to get married when I raised concerns about partitioning the length of a swimming pool to segregate men and women. We need to be able to step out of stereotypes which is entirely upto us.

Q- What does your typical day look like?

I wake up by 6 am and do a short workout. After that I eat and then do some work, or prepare for my classes. Then I do the second workout after which I eat again if I feel like. Then I take some rest or work. My third workout is in the evening before 7.30 especially if there is a competition coming up. I sleep early.

Q- What is the next competition you intend to participate in?
The next competition is in May in racing and then the Ironman in July.

Q- Athletics is a costly passion. How does the common man fund it?

Ultimately, our dreams are what we are and we must find a way to support it. One must get a job - one that you enjoy and which can fund your passion. I know there are those who are worse off than I am, but even those athletes will tell you that things turn up --- races, competitions and jobs that helped them to keep going. Let your track record speak for you. Money and funding will come afterwards. Aspiring athletes need to get rid of excuses.

Q- What can be done to nurture more athletics?

Lesser autos to encourage people to walk, clearing traffic from some roads for two hours in the early morning for walkers, no parking zones so people get an afternoon workout. But you cannot impose it on everyone. People need to make healthy choices on their own; nobody can do it for them.