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Dr. Kaustubh Radkar: First Indian to complete 25 Ironman Triathlons
The Ironman Triathlon is definitely one of the most difficult races to finish in the history of sports and consists of 3.8km swim, 180.2km bicycle ride and a 42.2km marathon run. Finishing even one Ironman Triathlon is usually a very big achievement for any sportsperson, but finishing 25? INSANE, right?
And that’s exactly what Dr. Kaustubh Radkar has achieved. From competing and finishing his first Ironman Triathlon in 2008 to completing his 25thTriathlon in March 2020, Kaustubh has achieved things that dreams are made of.
Kaustubh Radkar
Kaustubh was an extremely talented swimmer since childhood, which helped him bag a sports scholarship at the Indiana University in Pennsylvania, USA after his 12th grade. His first brush with Ironman Triathlon happened when he had a long lasting conversation with his friends who returned from Ironman Hawaii in 2008. While in college, he had also participated in two full marathons which meant that cycling was the only aspect he had to master before entering into his maiden Ironman Triathlon.
His first Ironman Triathlon was a big success as he finished well below the 12 hour mark despite of two flats on his cycle and a muscle tear in the shoulder. The second triathlon though is something he would never forget as he suffered an asthma attack and injured his making him limp throughout the marathon. Such was his willpower that he didn’t give up and eventually finished it in 12 hours and 50 minutes.
Kaustubh Radkar
What started as fun, soon turned into a passion as he went on participating in triathlons after triathlons as he completed 25 triathlons in 2020 – just eleven years after his first one!
Kaustubh is the only Indian to complete the most prestigious Ironman Triathlon, The KONA Ironman World Championship in the year 2017. He is also the only Asian and fourth person in the world to complete Ironman Triathlons across all six continents.
Besides, he also trains aspiring triathletes and has till date trained more than 50 full Ironman Triathlete finishers. He was also a national swimming champion and has held various national and state records at different points of time.
Read Also: Aditya Mendonca: From being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to competing in triathlons
