2 weeks Ago By Avijit Chatterjee
Pune: In just four years, Navnath Zanjurne (69) transformed his life, and how! He lost 30kg and went from obese to a fit participant at the Half Ironman. The Hadapsar resident realised the need to stay healthy during the pandemic, when he lost some friends and acquaintances to Covid-19. "I was obese around that time and weighed around 95kg.
I had severe pain in my knees and could hardly walk," recalled Zanjurne, who now weighs 65kg. On Nov 28, he completed the Half Ironman in Bahrain. The race consists of a 90km bike ride, 21.
1km run and 1.9km swim. Zanjurne's son Rahul, an orthopaedic doctor, said, "My father was worried due to the gloom and doom all around during Covid.
One day, he asked me why so many people were dying. I told him about Charles Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest. That prompted him to pay attention to his fitness.
" Zanjurne started small, with walks inside his home. After Covid restrictions were lifted, he began to take walks in a nearby park. "It was painful for the first three-four months due to my weak knees.
I also had shortness of breath. But, gradually, I discovered that I would have more pain in my knees if I just sat at home doing nothing," he said. Around this time, in Dec 2020, his son Rahul participated in the Half Ironman in Dubai.
The next year, he participated in the Full Ironman in Kazakhstan. Rahul then took his father to his trainer Chaitanya Velhal, an official Ironman coach in Pune, in 2021. "When I first saw Zanjurne, he was not in good shape.
He was obese and had significant physical challenges, including bow-leg syndrome, lost knee cartilage, and an unstable elbow. I told him that we could overcome these problems if he was willing to work hard with me," said Velhal. Zanjurne turned out to be a diligent student and embraced a tailored plan designed by his coach.
"Initially, we focussed on strength training and mobility due to his weak knees and weight reduction through fat loss and muscle gain. He even learnt swimming and mastered the triathlon technique. He also participated in various trial camps," said Velhal of PowerPeaks.
Zanjurne first tasted success when he successfully completed the Half Ironman at Bergman Triathlon in Kolhapur in 2022 in 10 hours. He failed to complete the Half Ironman in Turkey in Dec 2023, but remained resolute in his goal. His shot at Ironman in Bahrain last month was far from smooth.
"I faced heavy headwinds while cycling, and choppy waters while swimming. But I persevered," said Zanjurne, who completed the race in open division in 8 hours, 32 minutes, and 37 seconds, a little above the cut-off time of 8 hours and 30 minutes. Ironman recognised his effort and awarded him an official finish with a medal and a certificate.
Now that he has achieved his dream of finishing an Ironman race at an international level, Zanjurne does not want to rest on his laurels. "I tell all the elderly people in my housing society to push their limits. If I can do it at 69, they can do it as well," said Zanjurne, who has now set his sights on a Full Ironman next year.
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