Nandini Dias running for the cause of cervical cancer

Nandini Dias has never had a close encounter with cervical cancer, no family history of cancer, neither have any of her friends ever had it, yet she’s going to be signing up for the 21 km run on Sunday to champion the cause of cervical cancer. “I don’t believe that you need to have had a bad personal experience to identify and support a cause. I read the papers, I know how many women are affected by cervical cancer and how expensive the treatment is. I just want to be able to contribute to the money that is going to help cervical cancer patients, in whatever small way I can.”
Dias is not a runner. She plans to walk the 21km distance.

However, at the age of 45, that can be quite the challenge too. “In my younger days, I used to play badminton at the state level. So I’ve always maintained a level of fitness. Even today I play badminton and go for long walks and treks.”

It’s quite a feat that Dias is able to keep up a good level of fitness, given that she’s the COO of Lodestar UM, a media organisation.  “During the week it’s quite difficult to make time for walks or badminton games, so I indulge in physical activities over the weekend. I generally try to keep my weekends work-free. So I always have time to play a good game of badminton or go for a bird-watching session, which again keeps me on my toes,” she says.

And is her family joining her on this run? “They’re all very supportive, but unfortunately there are no women in my family. It’s my husband and my two boys. But they’ll be there cheering me all the way.”