Nagpur, May 18
It was not easy for 21-year-old engineering student Sachin Sahu to participate in ironman and complete it successfully. For that, he had to reduce his weight from 108 to 78 kgs and also learn to swim within just three months. Finally, on May 8, he achieved the feat in Vietnam and in the process became the youngest ironman (solo) from Central India.
Half ironman consisted of 1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling, and 21.1 km running. Sahu covered it within 6.28 hours although the cut off time was 8 hours. Although he had not achieved any position in the said event in the first attempt, it made him the youngest in the central India who has achieved this feat.
While sharing his experience, Sahu who is doing engineering at Ramdeobaba College of Engineering and Management, said, “Actually, I had started preparation for my first ironman in December under the guidance of international ultra cyclist Dr Amit Samarth. Swimming is essential to participate in ironman but I absolutely had no knowledge of swimming. I learned it and gradually at Ambazari lake prepared myself to swim at least 2 km daily. Ironman was the first time I swam in any competition.
Sahu was overweight too. Within three years, he reduced to 78 kg from 108 kg. “When I was in 12th standard, my weight was 78 kg. During lockdown I did cycling and running to reduce my weight. I also completed four brevets (cycling) of 200 km, 300 km, 400 km and 600 km within one year Thus I developed an interest in running and cycling. In December I realised that I am fully prepared for ironman, then only I enrolled my name for Vietnam ironman,” he said.
During ironman, even Sahu faced extreme weather conditions in Vietnam. “When we started cycling there was heavy rains and when just 20 kilometres remained we faced scorching heat. The heat was so much that it literally burnt my skin,” he said. In future, Sahu wants to do full ironman ie 3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km running.
Dr Amit Samarth, who has trained Sahu, has also confrmed he is the youngest ironman in the central India. “Sahu has bright future and potential. He will definitely do full ironman in future,” he said.