Santha Narayanan

                                       

Five decades ago, this teenager brought sporting fame to Stella Maris College as she helped the college grab the Inter Collegiate Athletic Champioship trophy from MCC that had dominated all the events in previous years. This year, just prior to the lockdown, the 67 year old Doctor went all the way to Bombay to participate in the ‘Tata Mumbai Marathon’ and came up trumps leading from start to finish as she picked up the Champion’s Medal. Here’s the story.

The Physical Director at St. Ebbas School on Radha Krishnan Salai was a sports enthusiast and groomed and mentored young athletes. She spotted the talent in this young school girl, who was in early teens and focused her attention on her. Starting 1966, under the intense training of the PD, Santha picked up all the trophies on offer in the age group tournaments. And then she joined the Science Group in Stella Maris College for her PU. Dr. AL Mudaliar Inter College Annual Sports meet was an important event in the annual sports calendar and Stella Maris had lagged behind in previous years with MCC sweeping the medals tally. 

In August 1969, led by Santha, Stella Maris clinched the Championship giving the college a famous victory that they had not previously experienced. Santha won all the events she participated in – the 100 and 200 meters, Long and High Jump and the Relay and bagged the Sportsperson of the Year award. So impressed was the Chief Guest with her performance, that Dr. Sarathy, the Dean of the Madras Medical College announced the allocation of a seat for medical seat for her right after the awards ceremony. And her sporting success story continued into her medical college days as well. Santha broke all athletics records during her teenage years. She also captained the University to a national victory, achievements that secured her the prestigious University scholarship for four years.

It was only in May 2014 that she made a comeback to competitive running, driven by her fitness freak sister, Radha Krishnaswamy, former Indian Women’s World Cup Team's Fitness Trainer and wife of Tamil Nadu Ranji Cricketer V Krishnaswamy (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2016/08/krishnaswamy-v.html). 

In February 2015, she did her first 10km marathon at Auroville. Since then she has participated in the leading Marathon events in Chennai. Last year, she was the runner up in the Airtel Marathon in Hyderabad and came third in the Chennai Marathon. 

Till the beginning of the lockdown, her daily morning routine starting at 5.15am over the last 5 years comprised of a run from Woodlands on RK Salai to the Madras University and back. To get her accustomed to uphill runs, she also runs up and down on the flyover.

For many, the lockdown has dampened the mood but not for Santha. For the last three months, the 67 year old has been going through a rigorous fitness schedule with a programme devised on ZOOM by her sister Radha. Every morning through the entire period of the lock down, she has been put through a one hour regime that comprises of warm up, high intensity on the spot running, skipping and squats, this with the objective of strengthening the muscles and core improvements. She has also been doing regular breathing exercises that she says will contribute to the expansion of the lungs. She has also been following a meditation and yoga programme. 

As a senior citizen, the body is vulnerable and the immunity tends to be low. She says that following this disciplined fitness programme, she has discovered a never before felt lightness in the body and mind.  Dr. Santha has also been holding medical camps in the remote town of Arasalur, near Thottiyam (https://prtraveller.blogspot.com/2014/09/navaneetha-krishnan-temple-arasalur.html?m=0), for the last 15 years. She says that if she has to continue to serve the people in that town, she would have to first keep herself fit. And that this fitness regime helps her in that endeavour as well. Last year, she was presented with the Best Doctor Award for her service to the Rural community.

Just a month prior to the lockdown, she enjoyed one of her biggest moments of her life. She won the renowned international standard Tata Marathon in Bombay beating the best of the runners in the country completing the 10 kms run in 74 minutes.

Dr Santha Narayanan runs for fun and not to win the medal. What has been most pleasing to her in recent years has been the fact that youngsters half her age have taken inspiration from her early morning running routine and have begun to practice alongside her. Also, the next gen feeling the stress of the corporate world have found positive energy doing the morning runs alongside her. Early morning, there are now followers on the Beach Road waiting for this Grandma to take the left turn from the RK Salai. Inspired by her, a police officer decided to run the entire Marathon alongside her at the Auroville Marathon.