Cuba anda perhatikan
cerita ini, Encik Fauja Singh adalah seorang tua yang mampu berlari, memenangi dan
memecahkan rekod dunia marathon dalam usia 100 tahun. Beliau mengamalkan makan
hanya sayur sayuran (Vegetarian diet). Anda juga boleh mengamalkan diet vegetarian
yang bercop SALM.
Maraton lelaki 100 tahun
FAUJA SINGH mengejutkan dunia dengan
menyertai larian maraton ketika usianya mencecah 100 tahun. Pelari Britain itu
menamatkan maraton Toronto Waterfront di Kanada sejauh 41.9 kilometer dalam
masa lapan jam, 25 minit dan 16 saat baru-baru ini.
Bagaimanakah pencapaian melangkaui usia itu
dapat dilakukan? Padahal kebanyakan daripada kita akan bersyukur sekali gus terkejut
kerana masih terus bernafas pada usia satu abad. Menyertai larian maraton pada
usia sebegini ibarat nukilan novel sains fiksyen.
Namun, realitinya, Singh masih dapat
mengatasi lima peserta lain yang lebih muda untuk menamatkan larian di tempat
ke-3,850.
Dia meletakkan kejayaannya kepada amalan tidak
merokok atau minum arak, berfikiran positif dan makan kari halia.
Namun, jika hanya semua itu yang diperlukan,
jalan-jalan raya akan dipenuhi pelari berusia seabad manakala setiap rumah
orang tua memiliki pasukan atletnya sendiri.
Pakar perubatan geriatrik menyatakan, rekod
yang dicatatkan oleh Singh akan bertahan lama dan sukar untuk diatasi.
Larian jarak jauh membebankan tubuh manusia
dengan semakin tua seseorang, semakin sukar baginya melakukan aktiviti lasak.
Jantung warga tua kurang efisien dalam
menyalurkan kitaran oksigen ke seluruh badan. Darah beroksigen yang dipam oleh
jantung individu berusia 60 tahun kurang 20 peratus kandungan oksigen
berbanding darah pemuda berusia 20 tahun.
Selain itu, kekuatan otot merosot dengan
ketara apabila seseorang melepasi had usia 70 tahun pada kadar 30 peratus untuk
setiap satu dekad.
Ligamen dan tendon pula semakin rapuh,
menyebabkan warga emas lebih cenderung ditimpa kecederaan manakala paru-parunya
menjadi keras dan kurang efisien.
Namun, jika keadaan kesihatan warga emas
berkenaan baik dan dia kerap melakukan latihan fizikal, kesan penuaan ini dapat diperlahankan.
Penjagaan
kesihatan yang baik juga membolehkan semakin ramai warga emas terus berlari
walaupun usia mereka memasuki lingkungan 80 atau 90 tahun.
Bagi golongan ini, Singh ialah seorang wira.
"Apa yang cuba disampaikan oleh Singh ialah saya
tidak akan membiarkan diri saya dikongkong oleh norma-norma kehidupan,"
kata pengarah program kebangsaan Pusat Latihan Galloway di Atlanta, Chris
Twigg.
Luar biasa
Tambah Twigg: "Masa memberikan kesan
buat kita semua. Tetapi selagi kita berwaspada dengan cara latihan, kita
sebenarnya boleh mencapai apa yang orang lain fikirkan mustahil.
"Jika mempunyai kesihatan yang baik,
kita mampu menghabiskan larian selagi kita bergerak secara perlahan-lahan.
"Kuncinya adalah dengan mengurangkan
tekanan ketika berjalan untuk mengelakkan keletihan kaki."
Twigg turut menasihatkan pelari agar
mengurangkan hari latihan dalam seminggu untuk memberi ruang kepada badan
berehat.
Majikan Twigg, bekas atlet sukan Olimpik,
Jeff Galloway yang merupakan penulis buku Running Until You're 100 menjelaskan
bahawa impiannya adalah untuk berlari sehingga dia mencapai usia 100 tahun dan
boleh terus menulis sambungan buku itu.
Lelaki
yang berusia 67 tahun itu telah melatih mereka yang berusia 70-an dan ramai
yang berjaya menghabiskan larian maraton.
Namun, dia mengakui bahawa peluang untuk
mencapai angka 100 tahun tanpa sebarang penyakit dan kekal sihat untuk
menamatkan larian jauh adalah sesuatu yang sukar.
"Mesej
yang disampaikan melalui kajian kami adalah 'gunakannya atau biarkan ia
hilang'," kata Galloway.
Dr. Sharon Brangman yang merupakan Pengerusi
Persatuan Geriatrik Amerika percaya bahawa Singh adalah antara warga emas luar
biasa yang muncul pada ketika ini.
"Dia benar-benar seorang yang luar
biasa. Maraton adalah antara punca utama yang memberikan tekanan kepada tubuh.
"Ketika usia 100 tahun kebanyakan
manusia boleh mencapai jarak 10 meter sahaja. Mustahil untuk menamatkan
maraton.
Tambah Brangman, maraton sebenarnya
memberikan banyak tekanan kepada jantung walaupun kepada orang muda.
Pelari muda juga boleh terlibat dengan kecederaan fizikal
yang lain sebelum sistem endorfin mereka mula bekerja untuk larian.
Fauja Singh (born April 1, 1911) is a British
centenarian
marathon
runner of Indian Sikh origin. He is a world record holder in his age
bracket. His current personal best time for the London
Marathon (2003) is 6 hours 2 minutes,[1]
and his marathon record, for age 90-plus, is 5 hours 40 minutes, at the age of
92, at the 2003 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Singh has
stated, "I won't stop running until I die. The next target, God willing,
is to be the oldest marathon runner ever."[4]
and, "At the time when people start retiring, I thought of running at the
age of 63...and today I won the marathon at 93 years of age." In 2004,
Singh was featured in an advertising campaign for sportswear
manufacturer Adidas
alongside David Beckham and Muhammad
Ali. Singh holds UK records for the 200 m, 400 m, 800 m,
mile and 3000 m for his age group, records all set within a single 94
minute period. At the age of 100 (and a half), Singh attempted and accomplished
eight world age group records in one
day, at the special Ontario Masters Association Fauja Singh Invitational Meet,
held at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto,
Ontario Canada.
Timed by officials in Canada,[10] He
ran the 100
metres in 23.14, 200 metres in 52.23, the 400 metres
in 2:13.48, the 800 metres in 5:32.18, the 1500 metres
in 11:27.81, the mile in 11:53.45, the 3000 metres
in 24:52.47 and the 5000 metres in 49:57.39. Each time bested the previous
record in that age division (some events had no previous record holder, as
nobody over age 100 had ever attempted to run the distance). Some of his marks
are significantly superior to the listed world record in the M95 age group as
well. Three days later, on October 16, 2011, Singh became the first 100 year
old to complete a marathon, running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8:11:06.[12] As
it took him over 14 minutes after the gun to cross the starting line, the
official time submitted for the age group record will be 8:25:17. However, Guinness World Records refused to include
Singh in its record book due to the fact that he could not produce his birth
certificate to prove his age. Birth records were not kept in India in 1911. He
was able to produce a passport listing his date of birth as April 1, 1911, and
a letter from Queen Elizabeth II congratulating him on his 100th birthday. In
October 2011, Singh, a vegetarian, became the oldest man to be featured in a PETA campaign. Fauja
Singh was born in Beas Pind, Jalandhar, Punjab,
British
India on April 1, 1911. Not much is known about his early life. He lived
with his wife in his village in Jalandhar, and moved to London in 1992 to
live with his son after his wife’s death. He speaks only Punjabi
and cannot read or write. The death of his son Kuldip and earlier of his wife
forced him to search for a worthwhile alternative in life. Fauja's jogging
skills were developed on an Indian farm in Punjab, and then at the age of 81,
after moving to the UK, his love for the sport became more "serious".
In London, he started running by challenging other old-agers to race him.
Gradually he moved on to longer distances. At 89 years, he took seriously to
running and ended up in international marathon events. When he first turned up
for training at Redbridge, Essex, he was dressed in a three-piece suit. The
coach had to rework everything, including his dress. Singh ran his first race,
the London Marathon, in 2000. According to his coach,
he used to run up to 20 kilometres easily and wanted to run a marathon,
thinking it to be just 26 kilometres and not 26 miles (42 kilometres). It was
after he realised this that he began training seriously. Singh shot to fame
when, at the age of 89, he completed the gruelling 26.2 mile distance in 6
hours and 54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world best for
anyone in the 90-plus age bracket. Singh is 172 cm (5ft8in) tall and weighs
52kg (115lb). He attributes his physical fitness and longevity to abstaining
from smoking and alcohol and to following a simple vegetarian diet. He has been
quoted as saying "I am very careful about different foods. My diet is simple phulka, dal, green vegetables, yogurt and milk. I do not
touch parathas, pakoras, rice or any other fried food. I take lots of water and
tea with ginger. ... I go to bed early taking the name of
my Rabba as I don’t want all those negative thoughts crossing my
mind."Speaking about the marathon, he said: "The first 20
miles are not difficult. As for last six miles, I run while talking to God.
TORONTO -- A 100-year-old runner became the oldest person
to complete a full-distance marathon when he finished the race in Toronto on
Sunday. Fauja Singh earned a spot in the Guinness World Records for his accomplishment.
It took Singh more than eight hours to cross the finish line – more than six
hours after Kenya's Kenneth Mungara won the event for the fourth straight year
– and he was the last competitor to complete the course. But his time wasn't
nearly as remarkable as the accomplishment. Event workers dismantled the
barricades along the finish line and took down sponsor banners even as Singh
made his way up the final few hundred yards of the race. Family, friends and
supporters greeted Singh when he finished the race. "Beating his original
prediction, he's overjoyed," his coach and translator Harmander Singh
said. "Earlier, just before we came around the (final) corner, he said,
'Achieving this will be like getting married again.' "He's absolutely
overjoyed, he's achieved his lifelong wish." Sunday's run was Singh's
eighth marathon – he ran his first at age 89 – and wasn't the first time he set
a record. In the 2003 Toronto event, he set the mark in the 90-plus category,
finishing the race in 5 hours, 40 minutes and 1 second. And on Thursday in
Toronto, Singh broke world records for runners older than 100 in eight
different distances ranging from 100 meters to 5,000 meters. The 5-foot-8 Singh
said he's hopeful his next project will be participating in the torch relay for
the 2012 London Games. He carried the torch during the relay for the 2004
Athens Games.
Fauja Singh (born April
1, 1911) is a Sikh
marathon runner who is now over 100 year old. He is originally from India but has
lived in the UK since 1992. He is a world-record holder in his age bracket in
various sporting categories. He is Britain's most popular Sikh in his 100's. He
has set various marathon records in the over 90's and over 100's categories. In
2004, he was featured in an advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer Adidas.
In October 2011, Fauja Singh travelled to Canada to run in the Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon. As preparation for the marathon, on Thursday,
October 13, 2011, he ran eight world record times for his age group in less
than five hours at Scarborough’s Birchmount Stadium track in Toronto (Ontario,
Canada), from distances as short as 100 metres to as long as 5,000 metres. These
are the races in which he broke the world record:
- 100 metres - 23.40 seconds (previous 29.83)
- 200 metres - 52.23 seconds (previous 77.59 seconds)
- 400 metres - 2:13.48 (previous 3:41.00)
- 800 metres - 5:32.18 (no previous record)
- 1,500 metres - 11:27.00 (previous 16:46.00)
- mile - 11:53.45 (no previous record)
- 3,000 metres - 24:52.47 (no previous record)
- 5,000 metres - 49:57.39 (no previous).
Following this record breaking day, Fauja Singh went on to secure a spot in the
Guinness World Book of Records on Sunday, October 16, 2011, at the Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon when he achieved his dream - becoming the world
record holder of the marathon aged 100 years. The 100-year-old managed to
accomplished this amazing feat, completing the gruelling 42.195 kilometre
marathon and becoming the oldest person ever to complete a full-distance
marathon. Fauja Singh came to London in 1992 to live with his son after his
wife's death in his village in Jalandhar.
"Sitting at home was really killing", he says in Punjabi. "Most
elderly people in Britain eat a rich diet, don't move about and only travel in
cars, and that makes them sick", he says. He wasn't prepared to go the
same way. So he took up jogging initially to beat the boredom of sitting at
home. "I never thought of running a Marathon then. But slowly it grew".
What surprises many is that he supports his eight stone and six feet tall body
frame with a very simple vegetarian diet. "I am very careful about
different foods. My diet is simple phulka (chappati), dal (lentils), green
vegetables, yoghurt and milk. I do not touch parathas, pakoras, rice or any
other fried food. I take lots of water and tea with ginger." And that
smile is eternally fixed beneath his silver haired beard. Perhaps that's the
reason behind his strikingly inspiring and positive attitude. "I go to
bed early taking the name of my Rabba [God] as I don't want all those negative
thoughts crossing my mind." Doesn't he find it difficult to cover 26
miles at this age? "The first 20 miles are not difficult. As for last
six miles, I run while talking to God". While running Marathon races
in London, New York, Toronto, India, etc he has raised thousands of pounds for various
charities promoting Sikh culture around the world. He has also raised money for
B.L.I.S.S., a charity dedicated to the care for premature babies. He describes
it as the 'oldest running for the youngest'.
Fauja Singh
Fauja Singh shot to fame in
2000, when aged 89, he completed the gruelling 26.2 mile (about 42 km) distance
in 6 hours and 54 minutes. This knocked 58 minutes off the previous world best
for anyone in the 90 plus age bracket. The career of this extraordinary
marathon runner is closely supervised by his personal trainer Harminder Singh.
He says "He can still run for a few more years. And perhaps in five
years he might be the oldest man to run a Marathon.'" In 2004, Adidas
signed him up for its 'Nothing Is Impossible' advertising campaign. He won't
reveal how much money the deal involves, but says that a large part of his
earnings went to charity. But the question is how long can he continue to run
marathons. Steven Carroll, an expert in sports medicine says that Fauja Singh
should go on running for as long as he likes, provided his cardiovascular
system is able to support his gruelling schedule. But, he cautioned: "No
one should run a marathon, be they 16 or 93, without getting properly fit
first. A marathon is a punishing event and anyone thinking of entering must
build up endurance". On the Friday, April 16, 2004 just before the
2004 London Marathon, Fauja Singh had to go through his final medical test. "They
had all types of machines and took many tests. Everything is fine with me.
Though my one leg is weaker than the other, I can complete the run",
he says with a disarming smile. That's why the Adidas billboard warns the
Marathon runners from Kenya: "The Kenyans had better watch out for him
when he hits 100".
- Born: 1 April 1911 in India
- Former occupation: Farmer
- Running career: Rediscovered at age of 81
- Diet: Ginger curry
- Marathons: London (5), Toronto (1), New York (1)
- Marathon debut: London, 2000 aged 89
- London marathon pb: 6h 2m
At 94, he's run seven
marathons (five in London), countless half-marathons and was recently part of
the world's oldest marathon team in Edinburgh. Fauja's jogging skills were
developed on an Indian farm in Punjab, and then at the magical age of 81, when
he moved to the UK, his love for the sport became more "serious".
Next up? He's set his sights on being a record breaker. And Asafa Powell might
have to watch his back. The Jamaican may have the new 100m record, but Fauja's
after eight of them - in one day. On Saturday, London's Mile End Park Stadium
will witness the great man attempting to set world bests for men over 90 in the
100m, 200m, 300m, 800m, 1500m, 1 mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. The action starts at
10:30BST with proceeds going to charity and the event is in support of the
London 2012 Olympic bid. So any secrets to fitness? Fauja's training regime
includes a daily eight-mile walk and run, no smoking or drinking, plenty of
smiling and lashings of ginger curry. The pounding pensioner is already a
superstar. Last year Adidas signed up Fauja alongside David Beckham and Jonny
Wilkinson as part of its 'Impossible is nothing' campaign. And next on the
list?
More marathons - and coach Harminder Singh is trying to set up a
showdown between Fauja and Japan's Kozo Haraguchi - the new 100m world record
holder for the 95-99 age group.
Best foot forward as
97-year-old man completes 10km race
AT THE age of 97, Fauja Singh
is an unlikely poster boy in the battle to encourage people to take more
exercise. But as he crossed the finish line after a 10km race in Glasgow
yesterday, he issued a rallying call to couch potatoes and gym-dodgers
nationwide: "If I can do it, anyone can do it." Indian-born Mr Singh
was among almost 20,000 runners taking part in the freshnlo Great Scottish Run
events, which also included a half-marathon and junior 3km race. After crossing
the line, Mr Singh, who took up the sport aged 89, joked: "It was a walk in
the park." Along with a group of runners from the Scottish Sikhs, Mr Singh
completed the 10km event in 76 minutes and 14 seconds. A vegetarian and a
teetotaller who lives in London, he said the key to his success was positive
thinking. He added: "It is good for your health. It allows me to focus on
the positive and run away from people who are not positive and it doesn't cost
anything." Mr Singh, who has completed seven marathons, was joined by
78-year-old Amrik Singh from the East End of Glasgow. He has competed in more
than 500 races since starting to run competitively in 1984, and said he had no
intention of stopping now. "I run ten miles every other day and run
shorter distances the days in between," he said. "Seventeen members
of my extended family are also runners so I have helped encourage them and
hopefully other people as well." Yesterday's half-marathon was won by
Emmanuel Mutai from Kenya in a time of one hour, one minute and ten seconds.
The women's race was won by Wokknesh Tula of Ethiopia at one hour 11 minutes.
The fastest Scot was Robert Russell, from Auchterarder, who crossed the line in
one hour, five minutes and 22 seconds. The men's 10km was won by Murray Strain
from East Lothian with a time of 32 minutes and 22 seconds, with Lindsay
MacNeill of Renfrew the fastest woman at 35 minutes and 53 seconds. Several
major charities benefited from the event.
Fauja Singh - Adidas sponsors
him. “Nothing Is Impossible” Adidas’ sign-board 2005Fauja Singh - official
starter at the Edinburgh Marathon 2005Fauja Singh practicing with his coach.
Photo: BBC (This information about Bhai* Fauja Singh is from 2005) - at 94
years old, Fauja is regularly spotted flying down the streets of Ilford, Essex
in his spikes. Why? At 94, 5 ft 11 inches and about 116 pounds, he’s run at
least seven marathons, countless half-marathons and Fauja was recently part of
the world’s oldest marathon team in Edinburgh, Scotland where the team’s
combined age for the four runners was 397 years! Fauja was honoured as the
“starter” for the race. Their turban-charged, 4 Sikhs relay-team placed 730 out
of 912 teams. Bhai Fauja developed his jogging skills on a farm in Punjab,
India and then, at the magical age of 81, when he moved to England, he found
his love for the sport became more “serious”. What’s next? He set his sights on
being a record breaker. At London’s Mile End Park Stadium this great man
attempted to set world-best records for men over 90. And Fauja came up with
five new records in 94 incredible minutes. He decided to try his hand at
shorter distances: 100m, 200m, 300m, 800m, 1500m, 1 mile, 3,000m and 5,000m. In
the senior category, he not only set a new 200m record, but halved it from 76.8
seconds to 49.28 seconds! He also set the British record for 400 meters, 800m,
1 mile, and 3000m. “He is an inspiration because he has set five UK records. He
has achieved more in one day than an athlete normally does in a lifetime,” said
Bridget Cushen, Secretary, British Masters Athletic Federation. “If that wasn’t
enough, he attempted all the records in under 94 minutes.” And, he still
officially holds the Marathon World Record for his age 90+ group, set in
Toronto September 2003, at 5 hours 40 minutes 01 second. He races for Great
Britain. “Fauja” is the Sikh name meaning “Army General” and he is true to his
proud roots as the Sikhs are famous for their military prowess. They turn
marvelous skill to peaceful activities, too, and many are great athletes. He is 180 per cent
fitter than an average man of his age, with a bone density in his left leg of a
50-year-old and a “20-year-old’s right leg”. He walks or runs 7 to 10 miles
every day and has a training session with his coach once a week,
although, he confesses, “When I am tired I do use my bus pass.” Bhai Sahib also
is a great Humanitarian, and all of his Adidas sponsorship money is given to
charity. He also ran one of his 5 London Marathons for the British Heart
Foundation and Bliss, a premature baby charity. Bhai Fauja said, “I think that
it is a good thing for the oldest runner in the race to run for the youngest
people in our world.” What a wonderful sentiment! Fauja has found the delicate
balance aspired to by Sikhs between being a great Khalsa soldier and a great
Khalsa saint. Fauja also is very aware about being a role model, and it is
inspirational for young Sikh’s the world over, to see their proud military
heritage, ability and training can be transformed into other healthy
past-times, too. Fauja Singh hopes to return in 2009 to break the record for
the oldest marathon runner - presently held by a 98-year-old Greek athlete.
