Indian Army soldiers are hitting the headlines for all the right reasons. Meet Thonakal Gopi, the Indian army soldier who scripted history by winning a Marathon gold medal for India at the South Asian Games.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate him for a spectacular tale of determination and commitment. Thonakal Gopi is fit as a fiddle and it was so easy for him to run the 10,000m marathon. He did the entire nation proud on the big stage.
Hailing from Wayanad district of Kerala, he is the only child born into a family of farmers. He grew up helping his mother and father grow rice and ginger. He later dropped out of his college only to join the Indian Army when he was 21 years old. He is now the only earning member of his family. He sends most of his savings home to support them.
Gopi’s journey of marathon running actually started five years ago. In 2014, he won gold at the National Open Athletics Championships and became a star sensation. But it was just a beginning.
The South Asian Games saw him win one more gold medal and success followed him around like a shadow. He had finished first among the Indians at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships. In the same year, he won silver medal in Asian Championships.
Indian Army Officer creates world record, completes Ironman triathlon event without taking a break
Major General Vikram Dogra created a world record by becoming the first Indian Army Officer to successfully finish the ‘Ironman triathlon event’, one and only General across the Globe to have achieved the feat in a sensational fashion.
This event is considered the world’s toughest one-day sporting event and Major General reinstilled pride by pulling off a spectacular feat. The Ironman Triathlon event contains 3 consecutive events namely swimming (3.8 km), cycling (180 km) and marathon (42.2 km). Major General completed all the extremely toughest events in a day without a break.
“He is the only serving army officer from the Indian Army to have done a full Ironman and the only General across the globe to have done so,” Army spokesperson Col. Aman Anand said.
According to the event rules, the competitors have to finish the events in order within 17 hours in order to earn the title of ‘Ironman’. Ironman Austria was held in the breathtaking town of Klagenfurt and as many as 3000 athletes took part in the event. Major Army General showcased his sheer brilliance as he completed the Full Ironman at Klagenfurt in 14 hours and 21 minutes.