Reels out facts related to Telangana statehood movement and other developments that took place during that period
The town-based child prodigy, Lakshmi Srija, hogged the limelight by showcasing her memory power and grasp of Telangana statehood movement at the TRS plenary held here on Wednesday.
Srija, a class IV student of a private school in Khammam, had arrived at the plenary to meet TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who had earlier presented a cash award of Rs. 10 lakh to her for meeting expenses on her education and pursuing her goal of becoming an IAS officer.
Srija narrated a sequence of events, including the formation of TRS party by Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao on April 27, 2001.
Her spontaneity in giving a vivid account of the statehood movement evoked wide applause from participants as well as the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and others on the dais.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Telangana / by Staff Reporter / Khammam – April 28th, 2016
Five years ago when Kiranmai Kondaveeti turned 40, she started thinking about doing something adventurous. She had always wanted to scale a peak, so she packed her bags, trained for two months and climbed the Everest Base Camp.
“I didn’t have to go through any special physical training, just the two-month preparation for the trek. I realised that if I climb the Everest Base Camp, I can do more,” says the Computer Science teacher. The following year in 2012, she summited Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
As Kondaveeti turned 45 this year, she wanted to continue her fitness regime. That was when she started to run long distance.
“Trekking requires one to be consistently fit. I scaled the two peaks, but if I had to keep myself going, I had to take up something to help me maintain my fitness levels. A friend recommended running. I took it as my calling and started training,” she says.
She joined the Hyderabad Runners Club, which has 3,000 member. “Running is not just about persistence. One needs to develop base strength and fitness. It needs to be pursued along with other sports such as cycling, swimming, yoga and going to the gym,” says Kondaveeti.
In August 2012, she completed her first half marathon (21 km) in Hyderabad in two hours and 58 minutes without any special training. “I wanted to test my body’s ability to run a half marathon. The Hyderabad marathon is the toughest in the country because of its altitude. Once you start, it only goes up and up. It starts at Necklace Road and ends at Gachibowli Stadium. It just drains us out,” she says. “We train for 16 weeks to participate in a marathon.”
Kiranmai Kondaveeti | Vinay Madapu
The half marathon’s adrenaline rush spurred Kondaveeti to want more. She finished her first full marathon (42 km) in 2013 at Leh in six hours and 30 minutes. An average runner of her age can complete the same in four-and-a-half hours. “It was the toughest of all the marathons I have run. I thought I would cross the finish line strong and happy, but my body couldn’t completely acclimatise to the weather conditions, though I have trekked in the Himalayas. I finished, but not in the time I thought I would,” she recalls.
Kondaveeti went on to run the Coimbatore, Auroville and Kaveri Trail marathons. She came second in the August 2015 Hyderabad Marathon in the 40-plus category, beating her previous best of five hours and three minutes. She participates in Ultra runs every year.
“It is not enough if we start running. We need to understand how much our body can take and work accordingly. We need to ensure that we don’t get injured, because one injury means you have to lay low for at least a year. The club provides support and experienced runners help newcomers. I train newcomers every Saturday at KBR Park,” she says.
Kondaveeti is also particular about her diet. “It is a balanced diet. I don’t starve myself. I ensure that I have all the right nutrients,” she says.
She was one of the organisers of Pinkathon Hyderabad 2016, an all-women marathon that encourages women to take up fitness. “The idea of Pinkathon is if the woman of the family is fit, the family follows,” says Kondaveeti, whose husband and two daughters are also fitness enthusiasts.
She teaches Computer Science at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Atmakuri Rama Rao School, whose principal allows her to take days off to run marathons in other cities. She is also the race director of her school run.
Kondaveeti, who won the Runner of the Year award by Hyderabad Runners Club this year, is training for the August 26 Hyderabad Marathon.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Magazine / by Rajitha S / April 23rd, 2016
