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At 52, Anju Khosla becomes the oldest Indian woman to complete the Ironman Triathlon
Anju Khosla has achieved what few Indians before her have managed to achieve. On July 1st, Khosla completed the Ironman Triathlon in Carinthia, Austria; becoming the oldest Indian woman ever do to so, at the age of 52.
In case you didn't know, the Ironman Triathlon is one of the most challenging competitions out there. It requires a blend of both physical and mental strength, along with peak fitness.
A Triathlon is a one-day event which combines three sports - swimming, cycling, and marathon. The swimming leg is stretched over 3.86 km, while the cycling leg stands at 180.25 km. The event is completed after the third and final Marathon leg which is 42.2 km long. The whole event must be completed in one go without any stoppages in between.
Anju Khosla completed the extremely difficult event in 15 Hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Khosla thanked her family for helping her maintain her fitness. “My family is very fitness oriented; it is a vital part of our lives. It has been a gradual process through the last 10 years that has brought me to this point. Not many women take up the sport, especially in India. I was checking the records and found I am only the fifth Indian woman to complete it, and by virtue of my age, I am the oldest Indian woman to have done it,” said Anju.
The triathlete, who also runs a financial services company in New Delhi, finished 38th in her age category, and 319th amongst the female competitors. Overall, Anju Khosla finished 2257th. However, she is not disappointed. Instead, Khosla thanks her athletic streak which has kept her running even at the age of 52.
“Age brings you experience but is also a limiting factor as my body can’t train like a 30-year-old. The average age for a triathlete is 30-35 when they peak. At 52, you can’t be doing the same so I had to break up my training sessions. But I guess I always had that athletic streak in me since childhood,” she added.
Khosla has been doing triathlons for a while now and plans on continue doing so in the future, albeit with her husband at her side.Also Read: Meet India's first all-female racing team
