Prime Minister Narendra Modi: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, five-time Guinness World Record holder and one of India’s most inspiring endurance athletes Sufiya Sufi shared how women can achieve anything they desire by breaking free from the shell they’ve built within themselves and cultivating a “passion and craziness” for their goals.’Kaun kehta hai aasma mei surakh nahi ho sakta, ek patthar to tabiyat se uchhalo yaaron’, this famous line was brought to life by Sufiya, as she quit her well-established job in aviation to become a world-class endurance runner.
“When you have a passion to do something, that passion makes you do a lot of things. At that time, you don’t think about the challenges and hurdles; all that matters is reaching the target you’ve set. Passion and craziness for your goal are very important. No matter which field you’re in, you should have that level of obsession to achieve it,” Sufiya told IANS in an exclusive interaction.
In 2018, Sufiya took up running to break away from her aviation job to relax and de-stress. Since then, she has entered the Guinness Book of Records five times and has set several benchmarks for ultrarunning in India.
She holds the records for covering the Manali-Leh stretch on foot in the year 2022, the fastest time by a female to complete the Golden Quadrilateral in 2021, and the fastest woman to traverse from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 2019. She also undertook the Tribute Run to salute the sacrifices of Kargil war heroes.
“My journey didn’t start with a passion; I just wanted to get out of corporate life and do something different. After quitting my aviation job, I started running. It began as something simple in the park, and over time, it became my passion. My first run was in 2019 from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, which set my first Guinness World Record in road running. In 2020, I completed the Golden Quadrilateral run, covering 6000 km and passing through four metro cities,” the Under Armour athlete shared about her journey.
“Then I took up mountain running and completed a run from Siachen to Kargil for the Indian Army. I also ran across Qatar, from south to north, which was another record for me. By taking on such challenges, I know I can go even further,” she added.
Reflecting on the hurdles in her journey, Sufiya shared that she never lost faith in herself. She emphasised that when you’re about to start something new, doubt should never have a place in your mind.
“The challenges started right from the beginning, especially when I had to leave a full corporate life while being in a good position. When I started, people didn’t even know what ultrarunning was, but I felt that becoming a flagbearer for something like this was a big achievement in itself. The biggest challenge was the financial one, but over time, I started receiving support. I never gave up on believing in myself.
“I never doubted myself during my journey, and I never allowed any doubts to arise. When you start something, I believe there should be no question marks in your mind about it,” she recalled.
Delivering a powerful message to all women, the athlete urged them to first recognise their inner strength, rather than making excuses about society or family challenges.
“Women have set boundaries for themselves. In the community I come from, there were many restrictions for women, and I was the first girl to step out of the house and work. You have to believe in yourself first, and only then will you be able to convince others that what you’re doing is right. It’s important to recognise your inner strength and then learn to trust yourself, instead of making excuses about society or family,” Sufiya said.
She signed off by lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Fight against Obesity’ and said, “It’s a really good initiative. Even if you’re a housewife, your first goal should be to say fit. And more importantly, mental fitness is just as crucial. It’s not necessary that you have to be a sportsperson to stay fit. No matter what work you’re doing, staying fit is just as important as it is for an athlete.”
“Women have set boundaries for themselves. In the community I come from, there were many restrictions for women, and I was the first girl to step out of the house and work. You have to believe in yourself first, and only then will you be able to convince others that what you’re doing is right. It’s important to recognise your inner strength and then learn to trust yourself, instead of making excuses about society or family,” Sufiya said.
Article Source: IANS