New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Mann Kaur says age is no bar to realise one’s dreams and the 103-year-old fiesty lady has proved it in the last one decade.
One of the ‘Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019’ winners who were presented the award by President Ram Nath Kovind on International Women’s Day on Sunday amid a huge applause by those present, Mann Kaur began her athletics career at the age of 93.
And in the last 10 years, she has literally run away with accolades across the globe — bagging over 20 medals in track and field events. She believes participating in competitions gives her a lot of happiness. The same goes for her countless admirers too who watch her run.
Known as the ‘Miracle from Chandigarh’, has also been associated with the ‘Fit India’ movement, a tweet from the President said.
Donning a blue blazer with an official insignia over her Punjabi suit and an off-white headscarf, short-statured Kaur marched up to the President when her name was called for receiving the award.
After received the award with folded hands, she ambled off the dais while swinging her arms.
Hailing from Patiala city in Punjab, the sprinter, who endorses Central government’s ‘Fit India’ Movement for remaining fit and healthy, was accompanying her 81-year-old son Gurdev Singh, also a veteran athlete.
Kaur, who took to running at the age of 93, said she believes “age is no bar to realise one’s dreams”.
Born on March 1, 1916, she won her first medal in 2007 at the Chandigarh Masters Athletics meet, in which she participated just for formality after seeing her eldest son Gurdev taking part in a race in Patiala. And from then on, she has only added to her list of achievements.
She won four golds (Track and Field) at the World Masters Athletics Championship in Poland.
She has set a record by becoming the world’s fastest centenarian at the American Masters Game, 2016.
She has won more than 20 medals in World Masters Games and America Masters Game.
She is the oldest person to walk to the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower in 2017.
Despite suffering from osteoporosis, she has displayed how determination is a key to success.
Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur congratulated her by tweeting: “I salute the indomitable spirit of this 103-year-old ‘young’ lady, who shall inspire millions across the world.”
