JOIN USReady for an adventure
Obstacle runs and triathlons have not been all that popular in India. So far, they have been seen only in movies. But thanks to ‘Fit.I.Am’, an organisation that seeks to promote fitness through a combination of functional training and fun, these could become a regular feature in Bangalore.
Dinesh Kumar, the founder of ‘Fit.I.Am’, used to be a risk and management consultant with the KPMG and also lived in the United States for a while. “I have taken part in a number of treks and outdoor camps. Events like obstacle run and triathlon are very popular abroad.
So I was keen on starting them here,” he says. His dream soon materialised into reality as he organised an obstacle run in the City in December, 2013. Speaking of how he prepared for it, he says, “I started off by looking for the right place. After a thorough search, my team and I came across a restricted territory in Kanakapura. This land is used to train the defence police personnel. So we sat with them and developed a trail of three kilometres with 15 obstacles.” After some heavy marketing, the event was met with resounding success with over 110 people attending it.
The team wanted to continue the good work. Hence, it decided to organise an event called ‘TAD 2014’ (Triathlon Aquathlon Duathlon). Slated to be held on June 22, the event will give sports enthusiasts a reason to rejoice as it consists of various categories for men and women like Triathlon Competitive (Swim 200 metres - Cycle 10K - Run 5K), Maja Tri (Swim 50Mts - Cycle 5K - Run 2.5K), Aquathlon (Swim 50Mts - Run 2.5K) and Duathlon (Cycle 10K - Run 5K).
“Bangalore has become a ‘running city’ and marathons are happening every weekend here. So organising only a marathon isn’t that appealing,” he explains, “Since running, swimming and biking are important components of functional fitness too, I thought of combining everything and come up with ‘TAD 2014’,” he adds.
No event is possible without the support of volunteers. Sharath, a volunteer, assisted Dinesh with the obstacle run and is now working hard for ‘TAD’ as well. “Dinesh and I did our graduation together. So when he came up with these concepts, I wanted to help him. And fitness is a passion for me as well,” he notes.
Easy as it may seem, there a hundreds of things that need to be kept in mind while organising an event like this, according to Sharath. “Firstly, you have to be careful with the safety of the people. Secondly, the flow has to be smooth as only then is the event worthwhile,” he advises. Can anyone be a volunteer? “An event like this needs to be understood well. So there is a selection procedure to a certain degree,” he answers.
Aishwarya, who runs her own consultation firm, supports Dinesh when it comes to marketing and communication. “Fit.I.Am focusses on a functional fitness regime. We have been using social media platforms to promote the events and engage and interact with people. We have observed that there is growing consciousness among people about fitness,” she observes. “This triathlon is a unique event. It combines aquathlon and duathlon and a participant can choose whatever he or she is comfortable with.”
The event is slated to take place on June 22 at DPS Bangalore East, Sarjapur, Dommasandra Post. Anyone above the age of 15 can take part. For details, visit www.fitiam.in