Coming out of retirement is easier said than done. The few who do so often struggle to hold their own. But such is not the case of K. Kirthana. Seventeen years after she set hung her running shoes, she is back and with a bang.
Blitzing her competition at both the state level and national level, Kirthana, 39 years old and a mother of two, looks poised to take on the rest of the world at the Masters Athletics Championship at Brazil.
Christina, who after marriage became Kirthana, has been a talented sprinter since school, raking in the medals at the national level while in school and college.
After her marriage, she retired herself from the track to concentrate on her married life. Two children and seventeen years later, she is ready to take the world by storm and she has already made her mark at National championships, bringing in two golds and a silver.
At the state level athletic meet at Kolar, she won gold in long jump and 100m hurdles, and silver in 100m dash. At the National level athletic meet at Bangalore, she won gold in 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles, and silver in 4x400m relay.
She credits her decision to return to her loving husband, who has motivated and supported her to return and to claim glory not just for her but also perhaps the nation.
Over the past year, Kirthana has spent her morning training for an hour and a half, sometimes two to better herself. “The return has been very difficult. But I have willpower and I practice every morning. Without practice, I cannot achieve anything” says Kirthana when asked about her return.
Kirthana’s victories has been until recently limited to the national level. She has finally tasted success abroad last week, when she won silver at the open athletics meet at Colombo. She was also selected for the Asian athletics meet in China, but due to lack of sponsorship, could not participate. Now she looks forward to going head-to-head with the best of the world at the Masters Athletics Championship at Brazil