Page 61 - CIJ Sept 2025- Digital Edition
P. 61
DIFFERENT STROKES
India’s women’s 4x400 relay quartet (from left) P T Usha, Shiny Abraham, Vandana Rao, M D Valsamma
Vandana, son Akshay and husband Joaquim Carvalho,
Hockey Olympian, after her son’s graduation ceremony
he first time I stepped onto a synthetic
track was at the national camp in
Bengaluru. Back home in my village, we
never had such facilities. To me, running
“Twas pure joy — we ran because we
loved it, not for fame or money,” she recalls, her voice
tinged with nostalgia.
Her lane may have changed, but the runner in her has
not slowed. Today, as she leads groups of 40-45 travellers
across continents, she draws upon the same lessons sport
Vandana at Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France) had once drilled into her — discipline, patience and the
strength to make a team out of strangers.
www.cleanindiajournal.com • Clean India Journal • SEPTEMBER 2025 61
