Anita Jha: The Marathon Queen

Till 2015, Anita Jha, 55, a homemaker in Ahmedabad, hadn’t run long distances, let alone a marathon. But inspired by her friend, she gave it a shot. It wasn’t easy at first. Women hardly ran in the city, and it made her uncomfortable: “What will people think?” But as she practiced, she found a new body, a new mind: “I don’t care what anyone thinks, I want to run — I will run.” She reserved those hours for her “self talk”: motivating herself, thinking of ways to improve, looking forward to the next event. Her identity, too, changed and soared. While running, she was no longer a mother and a wife but Anita, just Anita, a woman beating the turf, creating symphony with her feet.

She’s continued to run over the last nine years—45 half marathons, two 12-hour runs, four six-hour runs, and four half hill marathons—winning close to a dozen prizes. “I started feeling confident and optimistic in every field,” she said. “My excitement shot to a new level.” And as it so often happens, once empowered, she empowered others. She became part of Pinkathon and, as her own initiative, counselled house wives, helping them improve their health, lose weight. In time, sports companies contacted her, inviting her as an ambassador to give talks. Growing up, she was shy. But now she has “no stage fear” —or any fear at all.