Saiyami Kher Becomes First Indian Actor To Complete Ironman 70.3 Twice In A Year: How She Did It
With this, Saiyami became the first Indian actor to conquer the prestigious Ironman 70.3 triathlon not once, but twice in the same year. She completed her first Ironman 70.3 in September 2024 in Berlin, marking her debut in the international endurance racing circuit.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Saiyami Kher (@saiyami)
Saiyami Kher On How She Prepared For Ironman 70.3 Triathlon
The Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of the long-distance triathlon races organised by the World Triathlon Corporation. "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles covered by the athletes, including 1.9 km of swimming, 90 km of cycling, and a 21.1 km half-marathon, all in one day.
Saiyami Kher revealed how she prepped for one of the hardest triathlons in the world in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India. The actress said, "The training is quite intense for six months, [where you train] for six days a week. There are three sessions each of swimming, cycling, and running, and one for general training, which means ten sessions a week. Every month is broken down scientifically and if you're consistent, anyone can do it. It is just about putting in effort every single day."
When asked about her motivation behind participating in the triathlons, Saiyami said, "You need to have a strong 'why' for participating in Ironman. I work in an industry that can get pretty demanding and tough. For me, it's a way to deal with things that I find unfair."
She added, "Whatever unhappiness I have towards things not working out in my profession is the reason why I do endurance sports. It keeps me sane. The race is actually just a celebration of what you have done for six months, the intense training which people don't see, and everything you have overcome, which is so personal."
Saiyami Kher's passion for sports extends beyond her impressive achievements. As a strong advocate for fitness and mental resilience, she credits sports with transforming her life's perspective. By pushing boundaries and defying expectations, Saiyami's journey from acting to endurance racing inspires women and motivates others to tap into their own potential.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
26 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
'Coolie' movie review: A starry spectacle with a thin plot line
Violence, vengeance, and vigilantism mark fanboy filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj's much awaited 'Coolie'.Riding heavily on the swag, wit and mannerisms of the mass idol Rajinikanth, 'Coolie' is an ode to the star, who is celebrating his golden jubilee year in learning his friend Rajashekar is murdered, a furious Daya (Rajinikanth) takes it as his life's mission to avenge his film suffers from a sloppily written script that criss-crosses and takes numerous twists and turns to no avail. Despite its many bankable stars, the film fails to provide an engrossing and wholesome experience. 'Coolie' is collated with cameos — Telugu cinema's Nagarjuna, Kannada cinema's Upendra, a blink and miss Aamir Khan representing Bollywood, and Marathi-Hindi cinema's Mahesh Manjrekar. The young director makes sure to provide 'Coolie' a pan-Indian flamboyance..'Coolie' FDFS: From bursting crackers to full house bookings, Rajinikanth fans set the bar superstar Rajinikanth is the pivot, principle purpose and sheet anchor for the 170-minute wafer-thin plotline, Soubin Shahir charms the audience with an arresting performance as Dayal. More so with his dance moves for the song 'Monica'. Even Pooja Hegde pales before Soubin's playful gyrations. The song is the only 'whistle podu' moment for the crowds, apart from the electric presence of their Thalaiva. If you leave out the song, the much-praised Anirudh Ravichander's music comes a Soubin, Upendra steals the limelight as Kaleesha, Daya's comrade in arms (literally).With men forming the combatants in this highly combustible actioner, where every second person is felled with a bullet or machete, the ladies — Shruti Haasan and Rachita Ram — have nothing much to do. The villains just toss them around as bargaining making 'Coolie' bloody and gory, Lokesh Kanagaraj has elevated villainy and violence to its full brutal form. While Rajinikanth lives and walks through his fan-pleasing role, the others play second fiddle to elevate his charisma and screen presence.
India.com
26 minutes ago
- India.com
Grace Hayden Exclusive: Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, Matthew Hayden's Daughter Picks Rishabh Pant As Her Favourite Indian Cricketer
Grace Hayden, daughter of legendary Australian opener Matthew Hayden, is rapidly carving her own niche in the sports media and entertainment world. Currently working as a broadcaster at Delhi Premier League 2025, She is a popular cricket presenter, commentator, and model, Grace has covered some of the biggest cricket events for Star Sports, worked alongside her father in the commentary box, and hosted her own weekly podcast Game On with Grace for Willow, where she unravels untold sporting stories. While Talking to Zee News English in an exclusive interaction, Grace spoke openly about her love for India, her favourite current Indian player and more. Named Pant As Favourite 'Rishabh Pant, I think his comeback story was amazing' Grace Told Us on being asked about his favourite Indian Cricketer Currently. Rishabh Pant's return to cricket has been nothing short of inspirational. After a life-threatening car accident, his recovery and comeback showcased immense resilience. He's not only returned to the field but has also displayed his aggressive, match-winning form. His journey stands as a powerful testament to his unwavering determination and spirit. ALSO READ - Who Needs A Patriotic Movie When You've Got India vs Pakistan? 5 Iconic Matches to Watch This August 15 On Father's Retirement She also Talked about Her Father's Matthew Hayden's international retirement in 2009. "Yeah, well, it was his time. He actually, sat me down and told me in 2009, I'm going to retire, Gracie, and I was so young. I said, no, Dad, you can't retire. What do you mean? Santa has to come because I was convinced that because obviously Boxing Day test came around and it was around that time that he retired. I think in Sydney or wherever he retired. But yeah, he was like, I'm going to retire. I said no, you can't," added Grace. Beyond cricket coverage, Grace has had an impressive career across fashion, brand ambassador roles, and modelling campaigns in Australia. She's appeared as a fashion reporter for Channel 7's Spring Carnival horse racing broadcast, partnered with brands like Lorna Jane and Pacific Fair, and fronted lifestyle campaigns. She shares a close personal and professional relationship with her father, often collaborating on ambassador roles and public events. ALSO READ- Brutal Blow By Rabada In 2nd T20I Ends Mitchell Owen's ODI Debut Hopes, Injury Crisis Hits Squad Before SA Series
Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
The story of how cricket found India — through secularism
Najeeb Jung's moving and timely article on the positive role of religious minorities in Indian sport ('Simply Indian', IE, August 6) brought back memories of a call I got in November 2006 from an Urdu daily during the cricket team's tour of South Africa. The ODI series was on and the India XI had in its ranks for the Durban match four outstanding young cricketers: Zaheer Khan, Wasim Jaffer, Mohammad Kaif and Munaf Patel. Nothing unusual in that but the query made me sit up: 'Was this the first time four Muslims were in an Indian playing XI?' Promptly came my reply: 'Please check the scorecard for the very first Test played by India at Lord's in 1932.' That Indian team — 'All-India' as it was known pre-1947 — was led by C K Nayudu, one of the immortals of Indian cricket and consisted of four Hindus, four Muslims, two Parsis and a Sikh. The predecessors of the team of 2006 were Mohammad Nissar — arguably till today the fastest Indian bowler — all-rounders and brothers Syed Wazir Ali and Syed Nazir Ali and pace bowler Jahangir Khan, father and uncle of future Pakistan captains Majid Khan and Imran Khan respectively. It was the Parsi Zoroastrian community, originally from Persia, and at its peak, barely touching 1,00,000 in number, who were the pioneers of cricket in India. They established the first club exclusively for Indians in 1848 in Bombay (now Mumbai) and took on and beat the cream of European cricketers domiciled in India as well as three visiting teams from England between 1889-90 and 1902-03. The victories — their lone defeats at the hands of an Indian side on the three tours — caused a sensation and a wave of patriotism which swept across the country. The Parsis had also been the first from India to tour England, in 1886 and 1888. Hindus, Muslims and other communities soon followed and thus was born the only sporting tournament in history based on religious lines. Staged in Bombay, as well as smaller equivalents in other parts of India, these tournaments starting in 1892-93 with matches between Parsis and Europeans kept growing till it became the Pentangular which eventually was wound up in 1946-47. It consisted of teams representing Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Europeans and The Rest, the last named consisting mainly of Christians, Buddhists and Jews. The matches attracted massive crowds but not once was there an incident of communal disturbance. Indeed, players on all sides always maintained it brought the communities closer together. However, it came under pressure from Mahatma Gandhi and his followers who were of the opinion that a tournament based on religious grounds sent the wrong signal to the British rulers. The last captain of an Indian team pre-Independence was Iftikhar Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi. He was captain for the 1946 England tour, thus becoming the first and only cricketer to represent both England and India in Test cricket. His son, Mansur Ali Khan remains one of the most glamorous and popular sportspersons of all time. Just as the Indian hockey team lost its star Anglo-Indian players with their emigration to Australia after Independence, so too the cricket team lost some big names with the creation of Pakistan. One of those was master swing bowler Fazal Mahmood, known as the 'king of matting' and the star of Pakistan's stunning defeat of England on their maiden tour in 1954 with 12 wickets in the Oval Test. Aged just 20, Fazal was chosen for India's first tour of Australia in 1947-48 against Don Bradman's Invincibles. But events moved rapidly and when just five months later, India was partitioned, Fazal decided to stay back in Lahore and went on to represent Pakistan with great distinction in 34 Test matches. Thus India lost a rare talent. Two who did tour Australia, Amir Elahi and Gul Mohammad, later shifted to Pakistan and became a small band of cricketers to represent both India and Pakistan, including Abdul Hafeez Kardar. Fortunately for Indian cricket, Iftikhar, decided to stay on in India unlike some of his siblings. His son took over the captaincy in 1962 in West Indies under traumatic circumstances and, according to the late Bishan Singh Bedi, was the first captain to bring 'Indian-ness' to the team, riven till then by regional rivalries. The tour was the high point for Parsi cricket with four — captain Nari Contractor, all-rounders Polly Umrigar and Rusi Surti and wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer — part of the playing XI for the first two Test matches, a remarkable achievement for a micro-community. Sadly, Contractor's career (and nearly his life) was ended by a Charlie Griffith bouncer in the tour match against Barbados after the second Test. Thus began the Tiger Pataudi era in Indian cricket. Four Muslims (Ghulam Ahmed, Iftikhar, Mansur, Mohammad Azharuddin), three Sikhs (Bedi, Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill), two Parsis (Umrigar, Contractor) and two Christians (Vijay Samuel Hazare, Chandu Borde) have captained India in Test cricket. It is a glorious record of secularism which India can be proud of and an object lesson to other nations including our neighbours to the West and the East. The writer is a senior sports journalist and author of 18 cricket books, the latest being What If…? Indian Cricket's Counter-Factual History
