New Delhi: The world of sports just ‘discovered’ 105-year-old Rambai this summer. She used to lounge around with other elders in her village Kadma, in Haryana, looking after grandchildren. Until her granddaughter Sharmila spotted her striding across the farm with an ease and speed that would shame people half her age. She convinced Rambai to trade her slippers for a pair of running shoes.
Today, Rambai is called the ‘Udanpari’ and the ‘Flying Grandmother’ in Charkhi Dadri district. In June this year, she won a 100 metre sprint, which she completed in just 45.4 seconds. She beat others as young as 85 to the finishing line.
But Rambai has got competition in Bhagwani Devi Dagar from Najafgarh, Delhi. This 94-year-old grandmother holds the national record for completing a 100 m race in just 24.42 seconds.
Both the grandmothers discovered that they were born to run. From Finland to Germany to Varanasi, the world is their racing track. And nothing can come in their way – neither open heart surgeries nor physical injuries.
Rambai and Bhagwani are local celebrities in their hometowns. Everyone wants a selfie with them. Children follow them around and women look at them with envious admiration. Devi is now on Instagram. And Rambai is getting her passport made so that she can take part in the 19th Asian Games to be held in September-October next year in Hangzhou, China.
“Nani does not run, she flies,” says Rambai’s granddaughter, 40-year-old Sharmila Sangwan.
Also read: Official language treats Indians as Lallu of Hum Log. Hindi Diwas won’t address that issue
Eye on the prize
In the one year since Rambai took up running, India’s oldest athlete has participated in athletic meets in Vadodara, Varanasi, Badlapur, Bengaluru, and Nepal, winning gold in all of them.
And it all started with her granddaughter watching a YouTube video of 103-year-old Man Kaur who holds a national record in running. “I thought my grandmother is so fit, she should try it too. And she agreed,” says Sharmila, beaming with pride that her grandmother has been bringing home gold medals one after another.
The awards and medals are proudly displayed on the green wall in the baithak (drawing room) at Rambai’s house, replacing photos of her family and gods. They gleam spotlessly against the fine layer of dust on the floor, an almost permanent feature in the dry village.
Rambai earned the title of India’s Oldest Athlete after winning the first edition of National Open Masters Athletics Championships, held in Vadodara in June this year. She set a new national record in the over hundred-years-old category with her 45.4 second sprint, dethroning Man Kaur. At 101, Kaur had completed the race in 74 seconds. She passed away in 2021 at the age of 105, with many records to her name. Now, Rambai has taken up the mantle.
In Kadama village, houses are spread across farmlands, but everyone knows where the ‘flying grandmother’ lives.
“Dadi has become the identity of the village, but she doesn’t get the respect and recognition she deserves,” says 19-year-old Ishaq. When Rambai returned from Vadodara after setting a new national record, she was felicitated by the villagers in the presence of local media. But no politician or sarpanch came to meet her.
Rambai is currently at home nursing an injured foot, while her 70-year-old son Mahendra fusses over her. Old age, not running, caught up with her. A few days ago, while visiting her granddaughter Sharmila in Delhi, she slipped and fell. “We are scared to let her run, but she is adamant. She says, ‘If the leg is fine, then I will run,’” says Mahendra.
Rambai has things to do and places to go. Her next stop is the 2022 Asian Games and the World Athletics Championship.
Also read: MNC jobs, fat salaries — after IITs, IIMs, lesser-known pvt colleges are acing placement game
Bringing laurels from abroad
Bhagwani Devi Dagar has travelled abroad for international tournaments and has been feted by politicians.
In June, when she returned to India from the World Masters Athletics Championships in Finland, passengers at the Delhi Airport broke into smiles. There was Devi clad in a tracksuit and a garland of medals, dancing to the dhol. Her fans greeted her with victorious shouts of Chak De India while she posed enthusiastically with them for selfies.
Devi won three medals at the meet—one gold and two bronze.
“When we came back to India from Finland, so many big politicians tweeted for Dadi, from Rahul Gandhi to Mansukh Mandaviya. (Delhi) CM Arvind Kejriwal also congratulated her. Our MLA Kailash Gehlot came to our house to meet Dadi,” says Devi’s grandson, Vikas Dagar.
Devi enjoyed visiting Finland. And no, she “wasn’t scared” participating with other elderly athletes from around the world.
“Why should I be? It’s not like anyone was shooting at me,” she says.
Like Rambai, she has lived under British rule, celebrated Independence, and seen the country change rapidly. Now it’s the age of smartphones, and she has an Instagram account as well.
With a full social calendar, Devi flits from one city to another. She was invited by Sanmarg Aparajita group for an event to Kolkata in August. Last week, she was honoured at an event in Delhi organised by the Brahma Kumaris.
“Wherever Grandma goes, people start taking photos. Grandma enjoys it a lot,” says Vikas.
Devi loves the attention she gets, but with only a few teeth and no dentures, she’s self-conscious about smiling in front of cameras. “When people take photos and touch my feet, I feel very good. But when someone asks me to laugh, I hesitate. I don’t have teeth, so it seems a bit strange,” says Bhagwani Devi.
Her Instagram handle–set up by Vikas—is full of reels of her dancing and running, but she’s rarely smiling. Devi doesn’t know what the Internet is, but she enjoys watching the reels. “Whenever her friends come over, she asks me to show them the videos,” says Vikas. One of her clips have over a million views.
Also read: For TV news, Gyanvapi court hearing is already a ‘victory of Hindus’
Staying fit, battling injuries
The question that both Devi and Rambai are often asked is regarding the ‘secret’ to their fitness. Everyone wants to know what they eat.
Rambai says hers is “pure homemade food”. She drinks a litre of milk every day, and takes 250 grams of ghee with chapatis. She eats vegetables grown on her farm, and loves choorma and bajre ki roti.
For Devi, it’s buttermilk, and three rotis a day with vegetables. On occasion, she will dig into pizzas and fries with her grandchildren. “I don’t like it but sometimes when children ask me to eat, I give it a try,” she says. In Finland, where vegetarian food options were limited, she ate fries.
Neither Devi nor Rambai complain about aches and pains. Devi had to undergo a bypass surgery in 2007, but that did not stop her from taking up running in 2021.
“They opened my chest in two parts. I eat a lot of tablets daily, but I don’t care. I have lived my life and at this point if I can do something for myself and my country, I am happy about it,” Devi says.
Rambai, too, can’t wait to get back on her feet. The doctor has advised her to rest for three weeks, and she’s marking off the days in her calendar. “Once my leg is better, I will start again,” says Rambai who otherwise walks three-four kilometres every day. “I will run as long as I live, till my feet walk,” she says.
Also read: Hijab, Rampuri dialect, Muslim irony—Instagram’s Bajis are flexing identity, shifting gaze
What next
Rambai and Devi don’t run for money. Although they have made a name for themselves, there are no financial rewards. They have to pay from their own pockets to participate in track meets.
“We have spent Rs 6 lakh till now. We paid for the flights for the Finland trip,” says Vikas.
Sharmila drives Rambai to all the competitions. “I have spent money driving my grandmother to Vadodara, Varanasi, etc. We did not receive any money from anyone. I am looking for some sponsorship. If I could get it, it would help me to train my grandmother,” she says.
Rambai has seen five generations of her family thrive, and she has set the bar high for them. The women, especially, are in awe of her discipline and drive, while younger members adore her. “Even at this age, you can achieve anything. Dadi has proved it,” says Manisha, the wife of Rambai’s grandson.
Devi, too, commands the respect of her extended family, and her entire neighbourhood. Whenever she steps out for her daily walks, neighbours gather around her to discuss where she will go next.
“Next is Poland,” she says, not breaking her stride. As she walks past the small group, one gentleman turns to his wife. “You also join tai. God knows, maybe you will also start bringing medals like her.”
(Edited by Ratan Priya)