Berumur Panjang & Sihat Sebab Beriadah

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MENGENAKAN baju-T berwarna kuning dan berseluar hitam, Fauja Singh yang sedang berlari-lari anak dilihat begitu tenang ketika menyertai acara Toronto Waterfront Marathon di Toronto, Kanada. Di sebalik kedut-kedut tua pada wajahnya, tidak sedikit pun kelihatan riak penat atau putus asa. Fauja terus mengekalkan momentum lariannya dan menamatkan acara pada kedudukan ke-3,851 daripada 3,958 peserta.

Dengan catatan masa 8 jam, 25 minit dan 16 saat, warga emas itu bukan sahaja memperbaiki pencapaian peribadinya dari segi umur, malah turut mencatat rekod sebagai pelari maraton paling tua dalam sejarah sukan tersebut. Bahkan Fauja yang ketika itu berumur 100 tahun merupakan satu-satunya individu berusia 100 tahun yang berjaya menamatkan larian dalam mana-mana acara maraton yang pernah dianjurkan di dunia, sekali gus memecahkan rekod 35 tahun yang dipegang oleh seorang pelari dari Greece, Dimitrion Yordanidis, 98.

Kejayaan yang diukir di Kanada pada 16 Oktober 2011 itu terus menjadi pembakar semangat untuk Fauja bergiat secara lebih aktif dalam acara perlumbaan larian jarak jauh. Hari ini menandakan genap lima tahun rekod itu dicipta dan Fauja yang kini berusia 105 tahun tetapi masih belum mahu meletakkan noktah dalam episod larian maratonnya.

Kematian anak

Saya masih aktif dan sekurang-kurangnya berlari antara 5 hingga 8 kilometer (km) sehari, katanya seperti dipetik portal Hindustan Times.

Lelaki yang selesa dengan imej serban dan berjanggut putih itu mula menceburkan diri secara serius dalam acara maraton ketika berusia 89 tahun menerusi larian pertamanya di London Marathon pada 2000.

Bagaimanapun, dia mula mencuri tumpuan dunia pada usia 92 tahun selepas menamatkan larian sejauh 42.1km dengan catatan masa 5 jam 40 minit di London Marathon pada 2003.

Catatan masa itu mengatasi rekodnya sebelum ini iaitu 6 jam 54 minit yang dibuat bagi kategori lebih 90 tahun pada London Marathon 2000.

Saya mula membabitkan diri dalam sukan larian selepas kematian anak lelaki saya, Kuldeep pada 1994 akibat ditimpa palang besi ketika berada di rumah.

Berlari 17km sehari

Sukar untuk saya terima kematiannya pada peringkat awal. Saya hampir hilang akal sehinggalah seorang lagi anak saya, Sukhjinder, yang menjalankan perniagaan di Britain mempelawa saya tinggal bersama sekitar 1995. Di sana, saya banyak mengisi masa dengan berjalan kaki. Pada suatu hari, saya bertemu dengan sekumpulan individu sebaya yang mahu menyertai larian amal dan mengajak saya untuk terlibat sekali,” ceritanya yang berasal dari perkampungan Beas Pind di bandar Jalandhar, Punjab, India.

Sejak itu, Fauja yang terkenal dengan jolokan Turbaned Tornado berlatih di Redbridge, Essex di bawah bimbingan jurulatih kecergasan dan bekas pelari maraton, Harminder Singh. Sehingga kini, Fauja berpeluang menyertai lebih 14 pertandingan maraton dan separa maraton yang diadakan di seluruh dunia dalam tempoh 11 tahun pembabitannya dalam sukan itu.

Sebagai persediaan, saya akan berlatih dengan berlari sejauh 17.7km setiap hari. Saya juga akan melakukan aktiviti fizikal lain sekurang-kurangnya empat jam sehari, ujarnya yang hanya fasih berbahasa Punjab. Selain itu, Fauja yang sebelum ini bekerja sebagai petani di Punjab juga mengekalkan stamina dengan mengamalkan diet dan gaya hidup sihat. Saya mengamalkan diet berasaskan sayur-sayuran sejak 30 tahun dahulu. Lazimnya, saya akan makan sekeping roti bersama kuah dal untuk makan tengah hari dan makan malam.

Lambat berjalan

Juadah kari halia, kekacang, yogurt, sayur-sayuran hijau, mangga dan soondh (halia kering) menjadi antara makanan kegemaran saya, tuturnya yang turut mengamalkan minuman teh halia. Bapa kepada empat orang anak dan datuk buat 13 orang cucu itu juga tidak merokok mahupun mengambil alkohol dalam kehidupan seharian. Antara makanan yang saya cuba elakkan termasuklah makanan bergoreng dan nasi. Saya juga tidak minum susu kerana ia menyebabkan pengumpulan kahak dalam badan, dakwanya.

Dilahirkan pada April 1911, Fauja sebenarnya pernah mengalami detik getir ketika zaman kanak-kanaknya. Berbeza berbanding adik-beradiknya yang lain, dia hanya pandai berjalan ketika usianya mencecah umur lima tahun. Pada usia 15 tahun pula, anak bongsu daripada empat beradik itu hanya mampu berjalan sejauh 1.6km.

Rahsia umur panjang

Saya sering diejek ketika zaman kanak-kanak kerana keadaan kaki saya yang lemah dan kecil. Mungkin ia satu cara tuhan memeliharanya agar ia boleh digunakan sepenuhnya beberapa tahun kemudian,” dedahnya di dalam buku biografi miliknya bertajuk, Turbaned Tornado: The Oldest Marathon Runner Fauja Singh. Biografi setebal 144 muka surat itu diterbitkan pada 6 Jun tahun lalu oleh penulisnya, Kushwant Singh yang sebelum itu pernah menulis buku mengenai Fauja, bertajuk, Sikhs Unlimited dan Mending Souls. Dia seorang lelaki unik. Dia berlari pada usia di mana orang lain sudah pun bersara, tenaganya amat luar biasa. Fauja telah memberi dimensi baharu terhadap makna ketahanan, aspirasi dan kekuatan, ujar Kushwant.

Memiliki ketinggian 172 sentimeter dan berat 52 kilogram, lelaki itu juga turut berkongsi rahsia panjang umur dengan memberitahu, dia tidak akan membiarkan tekanan dan kritikan orang membelenggu fikirannya. Sentiasa bersyukur dengan apa yang dimiliki dan jauhkan diri daripada orang yang bersikap negatif. Saya juga suka sedekahkan senyuman dan tidak mengkritik orang lain ujar Fauja.

worlds-oldest-marathon-runner

Early Years

Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911, in the village of Beas Pind, Punjab. Young Fauja was scrawny and sick as a child, often bullied by other children who called him “danda”, Punjabi for “as thin as a stick.” Fauja did not develop the ability to walk until he was five years old. His legs were thin and weak, and he could hardly walk long distances. He never went to school – instead, Fauja became a farmhand. Initially he would assist with odd chores like minding the cattle. But later, he began to help with tilling of the land and growing staple crops like wheat and maize. Working hard in the fields, Fauja grew into a strapping lad, tall and handsome, his traumatic early years as a sickly thin child quickly forgotten. He’d now reached a marriageable age and his parents soon found him a suitable bride, Gian Kaur. The proud parents watched as the children grew up, completed their education and began looking for jobs to begin their careers. Also, now came the responsibility of getting them married. One by one the children married and/or found jobs abroad in Canada and England and left Punjab. All except one – Kuldip and his wife decided to stay back and help Fauja and Gian with the farm. The years rolled by. Fauja and his wife, now living a content life with Kuldip and his family in Punjab, made several trips abroad to visit their children.

Tragedy becomes a turning point

In 1992, Fauja’s wife Gian Kaur passed away. Fauja shed many tears but accepted his fate and carried on. He was 81 now, he’d come a long way. Then, in 1994, tragedy struck again. His son Kuldip, who had been taking care of his parents all this time, was killed right in front of Fauja’s eyes in a construction accident. Fauja’s world turned upside down. His grief knew no bounds and life became empty for him thereon.

Leaving India to start a new life

Now almost 83 and unable to bear the loss of his beloved wife and son, each day became a burden for Fauja. It was then that his children, who were by now well settled abroad, decided to bring their father to stay with them. Fauja eventually moved to London to stay with his son Sukhjinder and his family; this was in the late 1990s. Though happy to be with his son, Fauja was still grieving inside; he just couldn’t come to terms with the loss of Kuldip, and his mind was still in India. However, like many others his age, Fauja too may have soon come to turns with this tragedy, spent his old age with his children and died a peaceful death. But life was about to take a glorious turn for this octogenarian.

The Making of a Star

While watching television one evening, Fauja heard the anchor of a show inviting people to participate in the upcoming London marathon. This woke Fauja up from his slumber; he was back to his childhood days when he used to run errands for the family, tearing up and down the village streets. Well, that was almost six decades or so ago; he was now 89, not a youngster by any means. Nevertheless, Fauja, who had by now taken tentative steps out of the house to enjoy an early morning jog with members of his community, decided he’d give the London marathon a try. He, of course, had absolutely no clue what a marathon was. Asking around, he was introduced to Harmander Singh, an athletic coach and a marathon runner himself.

Fauja explained to Harmander that he wanted to participate in the upcoming London marathon, hardly a couple of months away. Harmander is said to have shaken his head in disbelief. Fauja wouldn’t relent, he had made up his mind and nothing was going to change it. Eventually, Harmander agreed to coach Fauja. With coach Harmander guiding him, Fauja finally began his training in right earnest. At long last he had a new goal in life and he began to come out of his shell. On race day of the 2000 London marathon, Fauja was one amongst the teeming tens of thousands who had turned up from around the world to participate in this prestigious event. The race began and Fauja ran alongside his coach, Harmander Singh. Six hours and 54 minutes later, Fauja crossed the finish line – he had run 26 miles and 365 yards. At age 89, he was a marathoner, having just completed his first marathon race, the 2000 London marathon. There was jubilation all around. Fauja had moved on finally and begun to lay the tragic events of his recent past to rest. This was a new beginning and there was more to come; he would soon be a star.

Blossoming into a marathoner

Fauja entered the London marathon again in 2001, but this time with a record at stake. He needed to beat 7 hours 52 minutes to be the fastest marathoner alive over age 90. He broke the record by 57 minutes! When he turned 92, Fauja successfully competed in three marathons in the space of six and a half months, another remarkable record. His personal best would be achieved in the 2003 Toronto marathon in Canada, where he clocked an astonishing 5 hours 40 minutes in the 42.195 km race – a stunning record for a 92-year-old runner.

The High Point in his Running Career

The year 2011 was the high point in the running career of Fauja Singh. In April 2011, he celebrated his 100th birthday and in October of the same year, he attempted and accomplished eight world age group records in one day, at the special Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet, held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Timed by Canadian officials, He ran the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, the mile, 3000m, and 5000m – setting five world records for his age group in one day. Each time he bested the previous record in that age division (some events had no previous record holder as nobody over age 100 had ever attempted the distance). There were celebrations all around and he was feted by the world’s print and electronic media for this amazing achievement. The spotlight shone on Fauja!

Other awards, accolades and endorsements

In 2004, the sports giant Adidas featured Fauja Singh in its “Impossible is Nothing” ad campaign. The advertisement’s tagline said, “6:54 at age 89. 5:40 at age 92. The Kenyans better watch out for him when he hits 100.” In October 2011, Fauja, a vegetarian, became the oldest man to be featured in a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment for Animals) ad campaign. The ad features him mid-stride and reads, “I am Fauja Singh and I Am a Vegetarian. 100-Year-Young Marathon Runner and World Record Holder.” In 2014, the British Government conferred on 103-year-old Fauja Singh the British Empire Medal (BEM), for his achievements and for his charity work. His biography, titled Turbaned Tornado, was written by Chandigarh-based writer Khushwant Singh (not to be confused with Khushwant Singh, the prominent journalist). It traces the runner’s roots and tries to capture his life’s journey, including the impact of Fauja on the world around him.

Now, at 104…

Fauja’s last marathon race was when he participated in and completed the Standard Chartered Hong Kong marathon on Feb 24, 2013, just five weeks before he turned 102. His timing was 1:32:28 for the 10 km race.