In a courageous move, a 42-year-old woman Kamarapu Laxmi, who is nine months pregnant, set a new record by running for a distance of 5 kilometers to enter the record books at Ambedkar Stadium in here on Sunday.
During her first delivery also, she ran a distance of 5 kilometres for safe and normal delivery. For her second delivery, she decided to enter the record books and also for the cause of protection of girl child and extending her solidarity with the Mission Kakatiya programme of the State Government.
With the slogan of “peth mein ladki ko bachao – gaon mein taalab ko bachao” (save child in mother’s womb and the irrigation tank in village), she performed the record feat of running 5 k.m. in 30 minutes and 20 seconds amid applause from the huge gathering.
Kamarapu Laxmi, a resident of Bhagathnagar, clocked the record in the presence of two gynaecologists, district sports development officer and other dignitaries of the town. The organisers also deployed an ambulance and para-medical staff to meet any eventuality for this feat.
After performing the record feat, Laxmi said that she was running for the last four years and it was nothing new. She called upon the pregnant women to take up exercise, yoga etc. instead of bed rest for normal delivery and a healthy baby. Telangana book of records editor M. Vijayabhaskar handed over a certificate to Laxmi.
Laxmi’s husband Ravi said that they would also send the details to the Guinness Book of Records. The morning walkers and other sports lovers attended in large numbers to witness the performance of a pregnant woman at the stadium.