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Jharsuguda is home to Veer Surendra Sai Airport named after the legendary freedom fighter who single handedly took on the mighty British emperor.

This city in the western part of Odisha hosts a large number of thermal power plants and is aptly called as the powerhouse of Odisha. It also serves as a prominent industrial center for the metal and cement industries.

Srutakirti Tripathy was born in this city of historical significance in the year 1983. Her father was a medical professional. She studied there till 4th grade before her father got transferred to Sambalpur.

She excelled in academics. During annual sports day, she enjoyed participating in various events like running, high jump, long jump and potato race. She completed the remaining years of her schooling from Aurobindo integrated school.

She chose to pursue PCMB in her 11th grade at Gangadhar Meher College, followed by graduation in Statistics. During this time, she frequented the college library to indulge in reading stories and novels.

While pursuing her postgraduate studies, she was deeply immersed in literature. In just two years, she borrowed 54 books from the library, particularly enjoying works by Pratibha Ray, Manoj Das, and other authors who sparked her imagination.

She went on to complete B.Ed.

She has two sisters and a brother. Staying in a joint family since childhood, she learnt the value of staying together and nurturing relationships that could stand the test of time.                                                                                                     

In 2006, at the age of 23, she got married and moved to Bhubaneswar. Couple of years later, she started preparing for civil services but had to stop midway due to the birth of her son.

Between 2010-12, she completed her M.Ed when her son was only 2.5 years of age. She aimed to pursue a Ph.D. degree.

She got a couple of job offers, but she didn’t accept owing to family responsibilities.

In 2017, she came across the “Sahitya Madhurya” Facebook group. It’s a platform for Odia writers to showcase their creativity. She started to believe that she would be able to write stories and publish on this platform.

Writing came as a big revelation for her as people in the Facebook group started appreciating her work. She continued writing with a lot of interest.. 

By Dec 2017, she started sending her articles to various publishing houses. Her stories got published in Nitidina and Pragatibadi, two of the prominent newspapers in Odisha. 

She began receiving calls from individuals all over Odisha who admired her efforts. Some even provided feedback that inspired her to enhance her writing further.

Although she began writing in 2017, she has made impressive strides in the past 6.5 years. Over 400 of her articles have been featured in top newspapers in Odisha.

She wrote a book named “Rang Tulira Jibana” which was inaugurated by the former Governor of Odisha Prof. Ganeshi Lal in 2021.

She has authored multiple children’s storybooks and excels in translating between Hindi, English, and Odia. Additionally, she frequently appears as a panelist on television shows.

She has participated in Odia Sahitya Academy events, where she had the chance to read her stories.

Despite having home responsibilities, she carves out time to write on a range of subjects. Typically, she writes from 3.30pm to 5.30pm and from 11pm onwards daily. Sometimes, she even wakes up in the middle of the night to write.

Drawing from her personal experience of living in a joint family and nurturing her son, coupled with her compelling storytelling, she has emerged as one of the notable Odia authors in contemporary times.

The Gold Dust

1.   Advice to upcoming writers:

Concentrate on writing without the pressure of getting your stories published. Expand your knowledge by reading extensively. Remember, for every piece of writing produced, aim to consume five times as much through reading. 

2.   Dealing with difficult people

Some people even advised her to reduce her writing so that she would be able to maintain the quality. However she remains undeterred by the remarks of naysayers. The years of groundwork she laid before embarking on writing has established a strong base. She is looking forward to achieving greater heights with steadfast confidence. 

3.   Legacy: 

Although she started writing in 2017, she has been able to make a lasting impression on the readers in this short time. She is confident that her writings will continue to inspire people long after she’s gone.

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#motivation #inspiration #stayinspired #buildyourrange #anybodycanrun #success #buildyourhappiness #happiness #authorlife #passion #book #author #books

Siddhartha was born in Salt Lake city in Kolkata in the year 1987. He attended Haryana Vidya Mandir for his schooling.

He was a chubby kid. His father would take him on 3K morning walks, enticing him with the reward of Jalebi and Frooti upon completion. He also enjoyed swimming occasionally.

His father works as a doctor while mother is a housewife. Sidd became more interested in photography after observing his uncle, who is a photographer.

When he entered 11th grade, he weighed 84 KG. To manage his weight, he enrolled in a gym, but had difficulty walking on a treadmill even for 10 minutes.

He pursued engineering in Computer Science from West Bengal University of Technology. His focus was on participating in Tech Fest and Cultural Fest events during college, with exercise taking a back seat.

At the insistence of his family, he altered his eating habits in his third year of engineering. He began walking 14 KM journey back home from college. After 8 months, he shed 12 KG, bringing his weight down to 72 KG.

He started working at TCS Trivandrum in 2009, marking his first time away from home. Within the initial 3 months, he lost 6 KG.

A few months later, he moved to Mumbai and his weight came back to the mid seventies.

His coworker was a fitness enthusiast. Together, they would ascend 11 floors to access the office gym, followed by a 45-minute run on the treadmill.

Thanks to his uncle, Sidd developed an interest for photography since childhood. He used to run to a new location in Mumbai, capture photos, and then hurry back home.

He traveled to the United Kingdom for an official visit. In 2013, he took part in the Sainsbury Charity Run and successfully finished his first official 5K run. The food, medal, and certificate made his debut run truly delightful.

After that, he signed up for a few 10K races. He considered those ones to be more of fun runs and collecting the medals as a memento felt priceless.

In 2014, he crossed paths with Pratik, who had a passion for running and hiking. Pratik extended an invitation to participate in a half marathon, prompting him to dedicate the following months to training for the upcoming race.

On the race day, he left pune at 12 AM to reach Thane for the 21K run. He drove and took his friends along with him to reach the venue. After a 30 minute short nap in the car, he went ahead for the race starting at 6 AM. Though it was manageable till the 15th kilometer, he struggled to complete the remaining distance.

Over the following six years, he participated in one or two half marathons annually.

In 2020, he had to resort to medication as his blood pressure level went up. With minimal workouts during the COVID lockdown, his weight significantly increased.

In Dec 2020, he managed to run TCS 10K in 58 min in spite of weighing 92 KG.

His uncle used to capture marathon events. Sidd stumbled upon the Kolkata Running Group through his uncle’s Facebook profile. He became a member of the group to prepare for future events, where Girish played a crucial role.

In Mar 2022, Sidd attempted his first full marathon. Despite hitting a wall at the 32 KM mark and feeling bloated from overhydration, he remained resolute to complete the race. Eventually he crossed the finish line after a grueling 5:02 HR.

He continued to struggle with his health and developed various health ailments related to kidney and cholesterol due to which he had to start medication.

But he found solace in running. In Aug 2022, he ran a HM in 1:54 HR.

He came across Runners 360 running group while browsing the internet. He contacted Shreyas Karnad to train for the upcoming Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023. He joined the group in Oct 2022 and started training under Coach Deepa Nayak.

Since then, he has shown significant progress in his running, achieving personal best timings as shown below.

10K – 39:57 MIN
Half Marathon – 1:27 HR
Full Marathon – 3:45 HR
Ultra Marathon (50K) – 4:34 HR

He has managed to reverse his Cholesterol and Kidney issues due to his exercise regimen and better eating habits. The blood pressure is also within the normal range. His journey exemplifies how maintaining an active lifestyle can significantly aid in reversing pre-existing health conditions.

Gold Dust

• Having mastered the art of running half marathons and full marathons, Sidd wants to test his mettle by running ultras.
• Message to upcoming runners: Consistency is key. By maintaining a regular routine, you will garner attention from people and receive valuable support from them to enhance your running performance.

If you liked the story, do share it with your family, friends and colleagues.

In accordance with popular folklore, the etymology of the name Angul traces back to a local chieftain named “Anu” who initiated a failed uprising against the King. The residents of the area dubbed this period as Anugol (Anu’s war), and over time, the name evolved into “Angul,” the title by which the town is recognized today.

Angul is home to NALCO, which owns Asia’s largest aluminum plant.

The city stands out not only as an industrial center but also as the location of the Satkosia Tiger Reserve. This reserve boasts diverse flora and fauna, drawing nature enthusiasts from around the globe.

Soumendra was born in this city in the year 1983. He is the middle child among three siblings. His father, a lawyer and a staunch disciplinarian, instilled values of discipline in all three children.

He pursued his education at Delhi Public School, Nalco Nagar in Angul. As an introvert, he dedicated himself primarily to academic pursuits.

In 8th grade, his school teacher observed his potential and assisted him in improving his interpersonal skills. The teacher motivated him to engage in drama activities. Excelling academically, he was selected as a class representative.

During 11th and 12th grade, he undertook various responsibilities at school, including social work, organizing cultural festivals, and managing the Christmas carnival.

He aspired to pursue a degree in MBBS. Following his completion of 12th grade, he traveled to Bhubaneswar to enroll in a medical coaching program. Over the course of his few weeks stay in Bhubaneswar, he forged new friendships, as the majority of his friends had chosen to pursue engineering studies.

But fate had some different plans. He opted to study engineering from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. He felt life is short and there is more to explore than committing another 10 years to study medicine.

He cherished spending time with his friends. Whether it was house parties or going on road trips with friends, Soumendra always had companions by his side for his adventures. As a food lover he meticulously prepared chili chicken, which his friends thoroughly enjoyed.

He visited a park regularly at the heart of the city for 1-2 KM jog.

He excelled in his studies, consistently ranking within the top three students in the computer science department and among the top ten students in the entire KIIT University.

That left his friends often perplexed thinking how he could top in studies while he could be seen attending all the parties and roaming all over the city.

In 2004, he appeared for first job interview with Infosys as part of campus placement. But he felt disappointed to see his name missing from the final list of students who cracked the interviews.

Two weeks later he got a job offer from Wipro and he was ecstatic. The company instructed all the selected candidates to travel to Kolkata for medical examinations. For the first time in life, he stepped outside Odisha.

He commenced his role at Wipro, Hyderabad in June 2005. Unfortunately, he fell ill the following day and had to return to Bhubaneswar as the recovery process would be lengthy.

Three months later, he returned to Wipro, where he crossed paths with Ellora, who had also joined as a trainee. Coincidentally, they both studied at DPS, Nalco Nagar. Their friendship blossomed quickly.

He enjoyed visiting KBR Park in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad for 1-2 KM jog.

In 2008 he went to Finland on an official visit. The trip changed his outlook towards health, wellbeing and life. In spite of extreme weather conditions, the locals were accustomed to walking extensively. A colleague cycled 22 miles to the office daily.

During his stay in Finland, he explored new things. He joined a local football team. He also tried his hands at photography.

In Dec 2010, he got married to Ellora and settled at Hyderabad. But soon he found his weight heading north owing to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits.

In 2011, the couple started running together at a nearby park. They also organized a 5K run inside their township. Within the next few months, he completed his first 10K run.

He joined Bank of America in 2014 and represented his company in various running events. In 2016, he ran 25 KM in Hyderabad. He was ecstatic.

Together, the couple embarked on South India road trips with their young daughter and friends, relishing the adventure of discovering new destinations.

In 2019 his boss gave him an offer to move to Dublin, the capital of Ireland. But he was given a very short time to make a decision. A month later, he found himself at this completely new place.

After spending a few months at this place his weight hovered over 83 KG mark. Upon the invitation of his neighbor, he thought of signing up for an upcoming half marathon.

Within the next 6 months, he reduced his weight by a whopping 12 KG by eating a healthy diet and keeping an active lifestyle. He went to the mountains for his early morning runs.

Every time he visited a new place, he ran in the morning to explore the place.

His wife also loves running and every morning she does a 5K run. If traveling outside isn’t possible due to bad weather, she runs 5K inside home. It’s super inspiring!

A local guy from his neighbourhood introduced him to trail running. In 2021, he did a 45 KM trail run that included crossing a river.

He completed the Dublin Marathon in 2022 and 2023 with a Personal Best timing of 3:48 HR.

In 2023, he participated in his longest trail run till date. He witnessed heavy rain and storm during the course, but his unwavering mindset saw him finishing the crossing line by covering 80 KM distance and an elevation more than 10,000 ft in 11.5 HR.

When you run, you feel better and happier. When your team runs together, then the bonding is even stronger. So he has set up a running club in his office in Dublin and motivates his team members to stay physically active.

Gold Dust
—————-
1. In 2024 he did a 50 KM run which was again marred by storm and snow. Out of 300 participants, 50 people quit the race from the beginning owing to extreme weather. However, Soumendra believes that such races train the mind to face any challenges in life. He savored the challenge and came out victorious.

2. For someone who once weighed close to 85 KG and never did serious running until the age of 30, he has come a long long way since then. Next year he has set his eyes on a 120 KM Wicklow way trail run.

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I was running my first Marathon in Dec 2016. The event was held at Whitefield, Bangalore.

Run started at the stroke of midnight. Weather was pleasant and I liked the vibe of the place. For initial 21 KM, I enjoyed the run. But I made a big mistake owing to my own inexperience. I ran at a faster pace as compared to all my previous practice runs. I completed 21 KM within 2 hour 30 min and I was feeling ecstatic. But right after completing the halfway mark, something went horribly wrong. I could hear a sound in my ankle followed by excruciating pain.

The entire knee was hurting badly. I approached a nearby medical camp and they gave a Volini spray. I felt a little better after applying the spray and thought of continuing the run. But within the next 50 meters, it became clearly evident that running was no way possible. Each step felt like a burden.

As I could no longer run, I thought of doing a slow jog. That wasn’t easy either. Finally, I had to resort to walking. Knee kept hurting with each step.

It was 2.30 AM and for the next one and half hours I kept walking. By 4 AM, it became extremely cold and I had no experience running during the night. Refreshment centers were either closed down or ran out of food supply. Hunger compounded the pain and the chilly winter morning furthered the suffering.

But I kept saying these lines to myself.

If you can’t run, just jog
If you can’t jog, just walk
If you can’t walk, just crawl
But whatever may come, don’t give up.

Finally, after 6.5 hours of ordeal, my suffering came to an end as I crossed the finish line.

This incident proved to be a defining factor for the rest of my life.

In 2019 I picked up a pen to write about my life’s journey. Two and half years later it took the shape of a book titled “Anybody Can Run” which later turned out to be an Amazon Best Seller. Owing to this book, I recorded a podcast that’s now available on Spotify.

But looking back on that incident occurred 8 years ago, makes me realize that WORDS have IMMENSE POWER.

So, CHOOSE CAREFULLY what you TELL YOURSELF.

In spite of starting his serious running journey just 2 years ago, Nishanth has notched up superlative performance.

5K: 24:27
10K: 49:32
Half Marathon: 1:47:34
Marathon: 4:16:33
Ultra Marathon (50K): 6:11:12

Besides his prowess in running, Nishanth has also established a distinctive identity through his involvement in several iconic projects that laid the foundation for a new era in India. Here are some of Nishanth’s noteworthy works.

1. Network & Security Architect for UIDAI to provide Aadhar card for 140 Cr Indians

2. Setting up MPLS based backbone across the country for BSNL to run Multiplay services – the very first in India including IPTV

3. Setting up network for Core Banking Solution for the first time in South India

Nishanth, who grew up in a small village located in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, did not show any particular interest in sports during his formative years. Instead, he devoted most of his time to academic pursuits.

Upon completion of his degree at the College of Engineering Chengannur, he secured a position at HCL Infosystems. His inaugural work involved establishing a network for core banking solutions for South Indian Bank. Given his relative inexperience, clients initially dismissed him as youthful and inexperienced. Nevertheless, he persevered with diligence and dedication, ultimately earning the role of project lead, overseeing a team of 10 professionals.

After a few years, his hard work paid off, receiving commendations from clients as well as HCL leadership.

In his subsequent assignment, he collaborated with BSNL to establish internet backbone network infrastructure across India. Following a few years of dedicated efforts, the project was successfully completed and inaugurated by former President of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, in a widely celebrated event.

Having spent a decade with HCL, he was presented with an opportunity to contribute to the progress of New India. Under the visionary leadership of Nandan Nilekani, the former chairman of UIDAI, various solutions were rolled out to support Aadhaar generation for over 1.4 billion Indians. As a Network and Security Architect with the UIDAI, he worked closely with notable figures such as Srikanth Nadhamuni, Pramod Varma and Amutha Arunachalam.

Having spent 13 years with HCL, it was time to look for greener pastures. Eventually he secured a role at British Telecom, where he started with leading a team of network designers and currently serves as Lead – Digital transformation and Performance.

All this while his health took a backseat as his career graph skyrocketed. He struggled to keep a check on his weight and by 2021 he weighed 95 KG.

In April 2022, he embarked on a new journey to take control of his health. He enrolled for 100 days of Running (HDOR). He clocked 10 KM every single day by walking and running. During that time he met Arun, Ashwin, Pradeep, Kailash and Kaushik from HRA (Happy Runners – Alive & Adventurous) Running Club that truly changed the course of his life. Being in the company of these people helped Nishanth to stay consistent.

On the 98th day of the HDOR event, he ran 25 KM. This run gave him a lot of confidence to set his eyes on the next milestone.

Oct 2022 saw him running his first Full Marathon at the Bangalore Marathon event.

He continued his remarkable journey throughout 2023 by running in the TATA Mumbai Marathon, Kochi Spice Coast Marathon, Kodagu Half Marathon, GKVK Ultra Marathon (50 KM) and Bangalore Marathon.

In addition to running, he possesses a deep desire for exploring nature. In April of 2023, he embarked on an expedition to Everest Base Camp (EBC). This journey lasted approximately 11 days, and along the way, he witnessed awe-inspiring views of the majestic Himalayas. Despite battling “Kumbhu Cough” and enduring harsh conditions, including subzero temperatures and hailstorms, he successfully completed his maiden trip to EBC.

In an era where many struggle to strike a balance between professional and personal aspirations, Nishanth has mastered this dynamic impeccably.

Hailing from a lower middle-class background, Kaushik grew up in the city of Kanpur, also known as the Leather City of the World. He grew up in the midst of a muslim community and celebrated their festivals more than his own.

Before getting married, his father had moved from Kolkata to Kanpur to work in a defense factory. His mother, although a Bengali, was a local resident of Kanpur. His parents lived their entire life in this beautiful city which was formerly known as Manchester of India.

Kaushik was good at sports as he represented his college cricket team as a middle order batsman and more than handy wicketkeeper. Football also fascinated his imagination to a great extent. He was also good at academics and got into prestigious BIT, Mesra engineering college.

During this time, he developed new interests like music, reading novels and dancing for the first time in his life. He got the first taste of erstwhile Bihar’s political scenario as the college had students from various political backgrounds. In late 90s, Bihar was known as a notorious state, but he found people of Bihar to be extremely talented, inquisitive and affable. He made some lifelong friends while studying there. He also met his soulmate Priyanka whom he later married.

While freedom allowed Kaushik to explore and learn new things, it also brought him under the influence of smoking and alcohol that affected him in many ways.

He started his career in the manufacturing industry. Soon he moved to sales and marketing given his penchant for building and nurturing relationships. However this role needed extensive traveling and his habit of smoking and drinking continued unabated. By 2009, at the age of 29, he weighed 90 kg and had lost touch with any kind of sports after passing out from his college. He quietly abhorred his lifestyle, but there was no easy way out.

By April 2011, he had crossed the century mark and weighed a whopping 104 kg.

In Oct 2011, he moved from Delhi to Bangalore. This change started to positively impact his life. He lived in HSR Layout which is still a prominent area where one can find plenty of runners during early morning hours. Seeing these runners, he could no longer stay in the confines of his home and started with slow runs in 2013. He had also drastically cut down on smoking.

He started to feel the difference in his body and mind as his weight came down to 90 kg. But his personal life went through a complete turmoil as he lost both his parents within a span of 14 months and his plans to expand his family beyond 2 also took a temporary beating.

His fitness took a back seat as he had plenty to deal with. Being a sports person since his childhood probably helped to keep his mind sane during those turbulent times.

Finally in 2017, things started to look brighter when he and his wife were blessed with twin daughters. He thought both his parents came back to his life in the form of his daughters.

A year later, looking at his daughters it dawned upon him that he could no longer match the energy of the toddlers. So he finally picked up his running shoes in 2018. He started with slow jogs and gradually moved to run longer distances.

He ran his first half marathon in Oct 2018. By the 16th kilometer he was so tired and cramped that it took him 1 hr 15 min to cover the remaining 5 KM. He completed the run in 3 hr 15 min.

In 2020 January as he turned 40, he vowed to himself to stay healthy and started running more consistently. COVID lockdown allowed him more time for running.

But it was a difficult period for him professionally as he was running a startup and his business struggled during the pandemic. However his focus on running kept him grounded. He met Vishwanath ji, Raju, Kailash and Pradeep from HRA (Happy Runners – Alive & Adventurous) Running Club that truly changed the course of his life. They were extremely passionate about running and cycling. Being in the company of these people helped Kaushik to stay consistent. He used to wake up by 5 AM and complete his run before anybody could see him during COVID lockdown.

His consistency paid off and on 5th Dec 2020, he completed his first ever Full Marathon with a timing of 4:05 hr. His weight had come down to 70 kg.

In the last 4 years, he has run 8 Marathons and 7 Ultra Marathons. He also has 81 half marathons to his credit. Earlier this year he ran a full marathon in Delhi within 4 hours.

In 2023, he raised the bar for himself by running four Full Marathons (in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore) and four Ultra Marathons (60 KM in Ooty and 50 KM in Yercaud, Malnad and Bangalore).

He has consistently built his endurance and clocked close to 8,000 KM of running till date.

He is also proud of the accomplishments of his wife Priyanka. She has recently completed a half marathon in Bangalore and one in the hilly terrain of Yercaud.

Kaushik had issues dealing with anger all through his life, but running helped him to gain composure. He started observing and introspecting a lot more in his life. He is a lot happier now. He wants to inspire people to take up running and bring a positive change in the society.

He sums up his experiences with these lines.

Life was going downhill fast but then running came to my rescue! Luckily, I started pounding the pavement just before COVID hit.
I’d always dreamed of running with my kids once they took up cycling. And guess what? I’m living that dream right now! Pure happiness.

Remember, you’re only as small as the things that bug you. So, why sweat the small stuff? Save your energy for the big-ticket items!