BHUBANESWAR: As she crossed the finish line at Jacksonville’s inaugural full Ironman triathlon, covering a gruelling 140.6 miles, 40-year-old Uma Hazra created history by becoming the first woman from Odisha to complete the prestigious endurance event.
Held in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 16, the inaugural full Ironman attracted more than 1,200 athletes competing in the iconic format comprising a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike ride and a 26.2-mile (42.2 km) marathon. Uma completed the daunting challenge in 16 hours and 53 minutes.
For the IT professional, the achievement marked the culmination of years of disciplined training, balancing work with family life, and pursuing her dream of representing Odisha on a global platform. Uma studied at DAV Public School, Unit-VIII, before graduating from Rama Devi Women’s College and later the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), Bhubaneswar.
The daughter of an audit officer in the Accountant General’s (AG) Office in Bhubaneswar, the 40-year-old worked with Infosys in India before moving to the US in 2013 with her husband, Biswajit Mishra, also an IT professional. Soon after relocating, she developed health issues.
In her late twenties, she was diagnosed with high blood pressure and realised she needed to prioritise her health. The same year, she took up running to stay fit and began exercising regularly. She later added swimming to her fitness regime as a full-body workout, laying the foundation for her endurance journey.