Ask Premshankar Pandya, what happens when one runs? With his larger than life laugh, this 81 year young man will respond with

“दौड़ ने से बुढ्ढा जवान होता है, और जवान कभी बुढ्ढा नहीं होता”
(By running an old man gets younger, and young does not get old).

Premshankar Pandya

He hails from Gujarat but currently lives in Mt Abu. A civil engineer, past president of The Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers & Architects, and one of the founder members of Rajpath Club, Ahmedabad. Around at the age of 60, he retried from his work and got involved in doing social work. Soon he realised that to stay healthy and fit, walking is the best exercise.

Since then he walks 8 to 10 km daily, and does not have any kind of illness or disease. He suggests that diabetic or blood pressure patients would surely benefit if they start walking daily.

Dodveer Dada

In 2011, Premshankar Pandya registered to run for his first Full marathon (42.195 km) in Ahmedabad. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then The Chief Minister of Gujarat himself flagged off the marathon. Modi saw him standing in front and ready to run at the start line. He then referred him as Dodveer Dada.

He has run at many running events, one of them where he actively and regularly participates, is Annual Motif Charity Walks. Three times he had walked the distance of 520 km from Gandhinagar to Dwarka. He along with his wife Tara Pandya, had done the difficult trek of Kailash Mansarovar in 2007. No wonders they were the oldest couple in their group there too.

Barfefoot on roads

It is not only Premshankar Pandya’s age which grabs the attention at marathons. How come an old man, that too totally barefoot, and dressed in traditional Indian Dhoti – Kurta runs so faster? He is a walking definition of simplicity. When others flaunt their running shoes and gadgets, he overtakes many with an inspirational smile and gives them the big thumbs up.

He promotes barefoot walking and running, as he knows how much it benefits our bodies. He offers his guest house stay for free to those who runs. If you are a runner and in Mt Abu looking for a place and host, you won’t be disappointed.

Century of running Half Marathons

Premshankar Pandya says, he completed his 100th half marathon last year, He has run in almost every corner of India be it in gandhinagar, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur, Nasik, Vadodara, Mt. Abu, Dwarka, and many more.

Those of you who run in marathons, and especially in Gujarat would have surely witnessed his enthusiasm and the aura he carries along when he walks consistently towards the finish line. Anybody would want to cheer for him.

Adventurous Dada

When a regular runners think twice before participating at events like Devil Circuit, Mud Rush and getting injured, our beloved Dada has conquered them all. He also took part in the super sprint triathlon in 2014, and in 2015 he ran ultra marathons in Vadodara, Bhatti Lake, and Sri Lanka as well.

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Setting Examples

In 2005, Premshankar Pandya joined the Dandi yatra, and walked 246 km of distance from Gandhi Ashram to Dandi. He was carrying just 2 pairs of clothes with him. Foreigners and others who were walking along, were having their bags and required things loaded in the cars and buses.

Curiously they asked him, why did not he brought more stuff and load it in the bus. He replied “while walking the path which Mahatma Gandhi did once, we should remember that Gandhi didn’t got buses and cars along. He carried very few things and did not load his bags in the name of required things. Then those foreigners also decided to leave their bags for the entire route.

Motivation

One really wonders where does all this motivation comes from? What does he eat that keeps him going? He says I walk daily so it is not a problem for me to walk long distances. I want to stay happy, healthy and fit. Through out the run route I feel joy, and I do not hurry in finishing it faster for speed or a medal or money. During the race events people come to me and ask for a photo. I happily pose with them for selfies. Many times it affects my race timings also, but I enjoy and what is the hurry?

When asked about how he manages his nutrition, his wife Tara Pandya told us, that he has got a good wife, and he agrees with a smile. We got an idea that they both complement each other. Not only they do all house chores as a team, but during the lock down also they both were actively distributing food to the needy.

What we learned from Premshankar Pandya

When someone says “Age is just a number” believe it!
When someone says “If they can do it, you can do it too”, believe it!
When someone says “There is no limit”, believe it!

Apart from developing a healthy lifestyle, he encourages many to stay fit. He believes it is better to motivate people in staying healthy than helping them after they get sick, so prevention is better than cure. Don’t think he is just an another miracle you read about in the newspapers or watch on televisions. He is putting efforts in his health daily, and more importantly the child in him is still alive. We wish him many such marathons and want him to keep inspiring us all.

We hope, walking in Premshankar Pandya’s soles have inspired you to do better in your game. Let us know in the comment section how do you like his journey. Like him, please help us Share your story and make more wonderful Sole Stories.

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