An inspiration who defied odds with every stride… city residents remember legendary Fauja Singh
“Anything worth doing is going to be difficult,” 114-year-old marathon runner Fauja Singh had told The Tribune during a marathon in Fatehgarh Sahib a few years ago. His words ring true for many, not only in Chandigarh or India, but across the globe.
Fauja breathed his last on Monday afternoon, after being hit by an unidentified vehicle in Jalandhar, but his legacy lives on. His admirers view him as a “guru” and a “figure of inspiration” for the generations to come.
Amar Chauhan from Vancouver has to his name 116 gold medals from various marathons in Canada and India, running alongside Fauja Singh at many of them. “Even while running, Fauja Singh was the least bothered about medals, fame or time…he was just fond of watching himself cover a distance others his age could only imagine. He used to read a lot and share enlightening thoughts. I would have lost my passion for marathons, if it was not for him,” said the 82-year-old runner.
While getting ready for a 20-km run being organised to honour his friend, he said, “With everything that he had to face in life, any other person could have given up on life, but not Fauja Singh. He defied odds with every stride…its really disheartening to see him go like this.”
Fauja Singh faced great personal losses in life, including the passing of his wife in 1992 and son in 1994 only to find solace in running.
He, in turn, taught a new way of life to many avid runners, who took up the hobby late in life. “I began running at the age of 32, inspired by the legendary Fauja Singh. I had the honour of meeting him at the Super Sikh Run in Anandpur Sahib. His journey brought a new sense of purpose not only to my life, but to countless others. He truly is an inspiration beyond words,” said 40-year-old Kulpreet Brar.
A national gold and silver medalist in athletics, 64-year-old Opinder Kaur Sekhon also draws immense inspiration from Fauja, who she fondly recalls calling Baba Ji. “After my brain tumor surgery in the US, I returned to India in 2001. I was feeling determined to rebuild my strength but only found inspiration after hearing Baba Ji’s remarkable story of starting running at the age of 90. His resilience motivated me to push beyond my limits even after losing my father and facing health challenges. I often said ‘I want to become the woman Fauja Singh’ and after 17 years, I finally met him at an event in Chandigarh in 2018,” said Opinder.
Surrounded by journalists who would flood him with questions on his fitness and diet Fauja Singh always had an astute advice: “The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress-free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from negative people…keep smiling and keep running.”
‘He gave me a new lease of life’
Deep Shergill, a marathon organiser, remembers how she was in a “dark place” before receiving a piece of advice from Fauja. “I used to call him Bapu Ji. I was going through a difficult phase and thought there’s no road ahead until I came across his inspirational story. He not only inspired me to focus on fitness by the means of running a marathon, but also gave me a new lease of life,” said Deep.
Chandigarh