69-year-old gives young players a run for their money

CHENNAI: Sixty-nine-year-old Roda Krishna’s mantra is to live every day to the fullest. For her, age is just a number and she proved it by competing in athletics at the age of 65.

Four years later, she is all set to participate in the All India Masters Badminton Ranking Tournament in the city.

In a chat with DT Next, Roda talks about how sports have helped her stay fit. “I was working with a popular airline and retired as an airport manager. After retirement, I didn’t want to sit idle and waste time. Right from my school days, I was interested in athletics. When I hit 65, I took part in a swimming competition in Visakhapatnam. This boosted my confidence to be active in sports. One day, a friend of mine introduced me to a coach at the Nehru Stadium. I trained under him and participated in several district-level competitions. I have won 30 gold medals as an athlete. Somehow, I got interested in badminton and started training for that,” says Roda Krishna.

The sexagenarian calls herself a happy 18-year-old with 51 years of experience. “People work and retire - but that doesn’t mean one should stay back at home. We have spent our lives supporting others. Now, it is time to do what we like,” she adds.

Talking about her fitness routine, Roda says that she feels good being fit. “I cycle six km daily, practice yoga and go swimming. As we grow old, we get concerned about our health, about our muscle and bone strength. You need to follow a healthy lifestyle and stay fit,” she says.

Before concluding the chat, Roda shares her two cents with us. “Do whatever you love - be it work or daily activities - with passion. It’s good to have company while working out. When you do things alone, you will get bored or demotivated after a point. It is not easy to stay active, but you need to try harder. I also host kitty parties at home. We do potlucks and play board games,” sums up Roda, who is part of the GetSetUp community.