Divya, a 20-year-old visually challenged girl, believes this quote in the true sense. A first-year English Literature student at Queen Mary’s College, Divya is all set to run a 150-km-long marathon from Puducherry to Chennai. “I got interested in running when I was 11 years old and my teachers at Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the Deaf and the Blind encouraged me to take up running. During one of the summer camps, I met Anita Sreenath, who introduced me to professional running,” says Divya.

Anita Sreenath, who runs a reading centre in T Nagar, has been dealing with visually challenged college students for the past 28 years. “Once these students finish their 12th grade, they come and join the centre for pre-college training, where they will be taught mobility training, how to use cane sticks, how to travel from college to hostel, basic computer training, spoken English and body language. Divya attended one of the sessions after she completed her 12th grade. When I spoke to her I could understand how passionate she was about running. A couple of months ago, Milind Soman asked me if any visually challenged would be interested in running a marathon. Though I was apprehensive, I asked Divya if she was willing to participate in the run. Without any second thought, she nodded her head in approval and soon, everything fell into place.”

Divya intervenes and says, “I am super excited about this marathon. I am a sprinter and I run fast. But, it’s different in a marathon. We need to run slowly and also jog in between.” Milind and Divya will be running as part of the fifth edition of Pinkathon in Chennai.

 

Training is an important factor in marathons and getting a proper trainer was even more crucial. But luckily, Divya got one of the best trainers, R Anita. You might have spotted the duo at Elliot’s or Marina Beach in the wee hours of the day.

“I’ve learned a lot during the practice sessions five days a week. I started running in the 5 km category, and slowly increased the distance. Now, I can run 43 km in five hours. Also, she taught me how to pace myself during a marathon. I am grateful to my trainer – she motivated me to bring the best in me. Without her support, I cannot even think about running such a long distance,” says Divya.

  

The youngster doesn’t have any role models and she wants her life to be an inspiration to many. “I love running, but I am never running away from life’s challenges — I believe in my abilities,” she says as a parting note.