Sitting idle at home or doing a nine to five mundane job is not Arunaabh Shah’s cup of tea. Even when he was a kid, he tried his hands at every possible sport and finally found his love in swimming. Soon, he became a national-level swimmer, but continued to study engineering as well. That is Delhi-based Arunaabh, a former national-level swimmer and India’s first male Ultraman, who is in Hyderabad to give a motivational speech to aspiring atheletes.
Talking about winning the feat, he says, “It was wonderful being the first Indian to do so, but it was really gruelling. The competition was a challenge from the first day itself. It taught me a lot about myself, how I can cope up with the mental and physical challenges.” Taking part in such an event is not an easy task, especially when Arunaabh started running just four years back.
So, how does he prepare himself? “Even though I was a good swimmer, I had to discontinue because of my education. I was down with typhoid and nothing was in my control. So, I took it up as a challenge and started participating in marathons and swam again. To be a part of such an event, you need to get back to your rhy-thm, speed and stamina,” he says.
It took him everything to be a part of the Ultraman — that includes three years of training. But, in his own words, it was not his biggest challenge. “Even though Ultraman was difficult, for me, my first half marathon was the most challenging. I was struggling to even complete it.”
On a typical day, Arunaabh puts in one-and-a-half hours of training every day, alternating between running, biking and swimming. Along with rigorous training, a strict diet too needs to be followed to maintain stamina. “I eat six times a day, and also take vitamin supplements. Though I have a hectic schedule, I make it a point to keep myself hydrated,” he says.
Asked what keeps him motivated, he shares a memory, “One of my cherished memories was to run with an Indian flag on the beaches of Australia. The motivation to make my country proud along with the pressure of being the first Indian Ultraman kept me going.”
By taking part in various competitions, he gets a chance to meet people from various backgrounds. He recalls an encounter with a fellow competitor in Ultra, “He competed in the race on a wheelchair. He lost his legs and yet was swimming and even cycled. This made me realise that one shouldn’t give up and should try until they succeed. That’s the true spirit of sports.”
And Arunaabh is not merely a sportsperson. He is part of a music band and also reads and writes. “I will pursue masters in sports administration to become a sports manager and of course, will continue to pursue sports as well,” says Arunaabh about his future plans.
Arunaabh has an advice to aspiring athletes. “Identify the differences between a good pain and a bad pain and remember, sports is 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent physical.”
