For Rajam Gopi, every finish line is a call to start again. At 70, she has no intention of slowing down.
“More victories to chase and medals to win,” she smiles.
Just a few days ago, Rajam won four gold medals, along with several silver and bronze, at the fifth National Masters’ Athletic Meet in Coimbatore.
The previous week, she clinched two golds at an Athletics Federation of India competition for senior citizens in Karisserry.
In September, she won three gold medals at another national athletics meet.
Her day begins by 5am. Wearing a tracksuit, she spends her time running or training fellow elderly sports enthusiasts at Kochi’s Maharaja’s College Ground. This routine, which she has followed for nearly three decades, has made her one of the most formidable athletes in her age group.
From sprints and long-distance races to hurdles, steeplechase, relays and jumps, Rajam is ready to compete in almost any event. “I always aim for the top spot,” she says.
A promising athlete during her schooldays, Rajam won medals at district- and state-level competitions. But family pressure eventually forced her to give up her ambitions of competing beyond the state level.
“Those days, girls were not expected to travel for sports. I had to suppress my passion,” she recalls.
“My mother was supportive. She worked at the house of a doctor couple to support our family. That couple also always motivated me to follow my passion. When I had to put my sporting career on hold after marriage, they encouraged me to try again. At 35, they convinced my husband, too,” she says.
Rajam eventually found her way back to the track after coming across an advertisement about an athletics meet for participants aged 35 and above. That rekindled the fire in her belly.
In 1996, she took part in her first masters’ athletics meet in Mysore and won silver in a long-distance race. “That win made me realise I was on the right track. I wanted to go all out,” she says.
The confidence she gained from that first medal propelled her to the podium at marathons in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune, where she won gold multiple times.
Rajam went on to compete at several national and international athletics meets. At the Asian Senior Athletics Championships in Bengaluru in 2000, she became the first Indian to win a medal at the event.
Rajam also remembers the encouragement she received from Express journalists during those years. “Their articles and support boosted my confidence as I returned to competitive sports,” she says.
Of all the disciplines she has competed in, the 5,000m race remains a favourite. “It demands a combination of speed, stamina and endurance,” she says.
“I participate in all kinds of long-distance events held here and across the country. Hurdles are another favourite. But after a medical procedure a few years ago, doctors advised me to avoid them. I still take part in a few hurdles events whenever I feel up to it.”
The year 2013 brought a series of personal and physical setbacks. While Rajam was in Brazil for a world championship, her husband died. She also sustained an injury that forced her to step back from hurdles.
“Just weeks after the funeral rites, I had to undergo spinal surgery,” she recalls. But grief and injury did not keep her away from athletics for long. “Sports drives me. All I had then to lean on were my daughter, son, nephew and dreams,” she says.
After treatment, Rajam returned to the ground within three months to resume training. “I don’t worry about minor issues such as knee or joint pain. I get them treated at the Ayurveda hospital in Ernakulam and continue with my daily routine,” she says.
“People, especially the elderly, should understand the importance of staying active. Everyone should set aside at least half an hour a day for a brisk walk or some form of physical activity. Never let age defeat your physical abilities.”
This attitude extends beyond the sporting arena. In recognition of her accomplishments, Rajam was offered a job at the gym of Ernakulam District Hospital. “It has been five years. I train elderly patients undergoing rehabilitation,” she says.
“I also share tips with fellow veterans at Maharaja’s College Ground, guiding them in physical fitness and endurance. I keep telling people the competitive spirit has no retirement age.”
And on that note, Rajam reveals she is chuffed about more action ahead. “Next, I am preparing for two national-level meets — one in Dehradun and the other in Chennai. I hope to win many medals there as well,” she beams.