A pink ribbon, a willing heart and a pair of legs--that is all you need to be part of the SBI Pinkathon, an all-women's run organized by the United Sister’s Foundation. The run, which will be held in the city on April 12th, this year hopes to get more women to adopt a fitter lifestyle and to raise awareness about breast cancer.
According to Milind Soman, founder of the event, “An active lifestyle is one of the best ways to combat lifestyle diseases, Unfortunately people in general neglect health, women even more.I realized that although the running revolution had taken off, both in India and internationally, women were not participating in running events.Running and walking are the most convenient form of exercise you do as a community. I wanted to create a community of women who believed and could inspire each other,” he says.
Anuradha Sivasundar, who is going to take up this challenge for the third year running says, “It is a great thing to raise awareness about and I am glad to be part of it. This is a forum for cancer survivors to come forward and talk about their disease, it gives other people hope. Most people stricken with the disease don’t talk about it--my own friend was one of them.”
And if hope is what you seek, then Neerja Malik embodies it, “It is a cause very close to my heart. I have faced cancer not once but twice,” she says, “And I have conquered it both times,” says the vivacious Neerja who was diagnosed with the disease 17 years ago.
Multiple rounds of chemotherapy, steroids and radiation therapy, saw her lose her hair and balloon from 59 to 120 kilos but her spirit remains undaunted, “I have been counselling other people affected with cancer ever since I was diagnosed myself. I have plenty of experience and believe in love, laughter, joy and hope. I tell every person afflicted that if I can do it so can you. It changes the thought-process, when they see me, larger than life (in more ways than one), telling them all this,” she believes.
Pinkathon, for her is an extension of this sentiment, “ I wanted move people and encourage them to participate in this. Also, I heard Milind talk about how his mother started trekking at 60 and since I was turning 60 last year too, this struck a chord within me. I did a 3 kms walk last year and am planning to 5 this year. Next year will be 10, God willing,” she says.
“I’m doing a 5 this year,” says Anuradha, “I do walk regularly and do yoga, so I’m sure 5 won't be a problem. I really am looking forward to this event. It is wonderful to see women of all ages come together with so much enthusiasm--last year the whole scenes was a joy to watch.”
“Women often feel guilty about taking time away from their families to exercise. But when they come out there and see so many other women, like them, exercising, they begin to believe that it is okay,” smiles Milind.
