Most athletes in their 50's would be content to lead a retired life, 52-year-old Rajam Gopi continues to compete hard in international meets and bag medals.
Most athletes in their 50's would be content to lead a happy retired life, reminiscing about their careers or spending time with their grandchildren but not 52-year-old Rajam Gopi, who continues to compete hard in international meets and bag medals.
The most recent haul for this remarkable lady was two golds and two silvers at the 15th Asian Masters athletic championship at Chiang Mai in Thailand from January 13 to 18.
"My ambition is to participate in the coming World Masters Athletic Championship and win a medal for the country. I am confident of winning a medal in the world meet, but I need the support of a sponsor," lanky Rajam, hailing from Ernakulam in Kerala, the nursery of Indian athletics, said.
A member of the 284 strong Indian contingent for the Thailand championship, she bagged golds in the 5 km walk with a personal best of 31:58.48 secs and 3000 m Hurdles, warding off a stiff challenge from Indonesian and Malaysian veterans.
She also claimed silvers in the 5000 m race and 2000 M steeplechase events.
Rajam, a general trainer at Talwalkars multigym here, has so far bagged 80 medals, including 40 golds in various national and International meets.
Rajam was at her best in the 22nd Malaysian Open Masters Athletic Championship at Kangar, Perlis, in Malaysia on July 19 and 20 last year, bagging golds in all four events she took part in - 3 Km Walk, 1500 m, 5000 m and 800 m.
In the first Asian Masters Athletic Meet at Bangalore in 2000, she won gold in the 5-Km walk and became the first Indian to win a medal for the country in the veteran section. Besides, she also finished third in the 5000 M.
In 2006 Asian Masters Athletic Meet at Bangalore, she won three golds in the 5-KM Walk, 5000 m and 300 m hurdles. She was also a 4x100 m Relay team member which won the bronze.
Her greatest regret is that financial constraints prevented her from making it to the world championship in England in 2005 and Australia in 2006.
Though she was selected for the World Championship in 2007 at Italy, she could not obtain her visa for her onward journey.
Rajam, who has been interested in athletics right from her childhood, is a ninth standard dropout. Despite her busy schedule at home, she diligently practices for two hours at Maharaja's College ground here.
"I can skip my food for a day, but not miss my practice," she says.
A mother of two grown up children, she says coach A Ramachandran, a Sub-Inspector at the Police Academy at Thrissur, has been of immense help in her career.
Rajam recalled that 19 athletes from Kerala were selected to represent India at the Thailand Masters meet, all of whom
won at least one medal each.
She said it was regrettable that Kerala didn't feel it necessary to provide any incentive for the veteran athletes, when other states were giving financial awards to those winning medals in international meets.
"I have approached the government for a sweeper's job, submitted memorandums to the chief minister and sports minister, but nothing has materialised," a dejected Rajam said.
Rajam was adjudged the 'Best Athlete of Kerala 2008' by the Kerala Veteran's Sports Association recently.
"My long cherished ambition is to win a gold medal at the world meet," she said and hoped that some sponsors would one day come forward and help her bring laurels for the country in the world meet.
Kerala Veteran Athletic Association secretary Sabu said Rajam was an outstanding athlete.
"She was the star of our country in the Thailand Masters meet," he said.
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