Of tragedies and tenacity: The Fauja Singh story
The 114 -year -old child, who started his career as a marathon runner at the age of 89 and pushed him to a global icon status, died on Monday night.
Despite his age, it was suddenly ending. The local village in Jalandhar was shot by a vehicle that has not yet been identified when he was walking in Beas Pind.
With its durability and “unlucky”, the weak man, who worn out many personal storms, had a better part of his running career in the UK and returned to his roots about three years before his retirement.
“Hurricane with turban ‘book Khushwant Singh, the biography of the famous runner’s life, said,” We always told him that someone who always works in India will always take the risk of hitting. Unfortunately this is. ” He said.
Fauja’s power story began for a long time, often for those seized by many tragedies of life. He was fighting his own demons. Overwhelmed by the loss of his youngest son in the mid -90s, Fauja found comfort with a local club in Essex after moving from India after his wife and daughter’s death. “The villagers used to tell one of their sons to England, because they would continue to visit the cream and sit there for hours. Finally, Ilford (a town in London) was moved.” He said.
Once there, he folded another loss before he started the Fauja running club. And what started as a hobby to raise his mind from the conditions that threaten to consume it was the driving force of his life.
In London, New York and Hong Kong, the marathon continued to run, including the famous ones, and aroused awe for more than 90 man born with weak legs.
In this process, he became a torch carrier at the 2012 London Olympics and the late Queen II. He was honored by Elizabeth for his contribution to sports and charity.
“Before this meeting with the Queen, we had to consult him over and over again ‘Father, Queen Naal Sirf Hath Milana Hai, Japphi Ni Paani Jinwein Baccheyan Nu Tussi Paande Ho’ (Dad, you should just get tight with the queen, you’ve met with them in 2005, you remember Khushwant’s long relationship.
“But the jokes were a very flexible man with a lot of worldly wisdom. He couldn’t read it in general, but he could define numbers because they were memorized for him.
“At the same time, he was a greedy person. Every ruup he won by running the marathon went to charity. Once he became famous, people would walk towards him to give money even in Gruudwaras, but he would immediately put them in the donation boxes there.” He said.
Like a romantic population with a real blue big heart, Fauja liked its pinni (dotted dessert balls with flour and dried fruits) and occasionally from McDonald’s.
But he was also a disciplined runner that would strongly train before his races.
It was one of the most memorable of his runs in 2011 when he was 100 years old. He was elected in honor of the invitation meeting in Toronto and broke several world records for the age group.
However, since there was no birth certificate to prove his age, None of Guinness world records was taken into consideration.
“He was not disturbed by any of them. He just enjoyed his attention. He once said to him, ‘Dad, Maran Ton Darr Lagda? (Dad, are you afraid of death?).’ Haan, Bilkul Lagda.
“He was a simple man, but it was understood with the importance of clarity, vitality and education. It was elegant enough to join a race against drug addiction even two years ago.”
Finally, he lived up to the values reflected by his name Fauja. He fought the war of life by a soldier’s decision.
“He wandered the world, but he didn’t try to ask who would look at his stay and other needs. He was relying on the system, and when I was with him many times, he would only say ‘Sangat Saambh Laigi’ (the community will take care of me).”
