Meeting Milind!

Milind Soman was in town recently to encourage one and all to take up fitness and create awareness about his pet project Pinkathon. Yo! Vizag team learnt quite a bit as he talked about his journey to wellness.

Athletic Values

“I am one of the privileged few in our country who was encouraged to take up sports as a child. My grandparents, who were all doctors, were dead-set against me swimming. Despite competing at a national level when I was 10, I was told to concentrate on my studies by the time I was 13. It was my mother who believed I was smart and disciplined enough to balance both – they were qualities I’d gained from sport after all.”  

Culture of Wellness

“The term ‘health’ in our country has been restricted to kitchens till the recent past. India has no culture of health; we don’t actively strive for it. Indians have taken over the world because of the kind of focus we put on academics. While that deserves applause, we need a balance in our lifestyles today more than ever. You are considered lucky if you’ve reached a certain age and haven’t gotten diabetes or had a heart attack. It’s not luck; it’s how you take care of your body.”

Diminished Merit

“We have been gifted amazing bodies by nature and we choose to defile them. By doing so, we are not just destroying our own health; we’re ruining that of the future generations too. As a species, we are passing on weaker genes than what we’ve been given, thanks to unhealthy lifestyles. To break this cycle, we need to take responsibility and start making the right choices.”

Lifestyle Modification

“Through negligent lifestyles, we are creating a whole community of people suffering from lifestyle diseases. Technology exists to facilitate better living, but we end up misusing it. We prefer escalators, automobiles, phones and artificially created, processed and packaged food, harming our physical and mental well-being. Studies show that if we keep indulging in such behaviour, the next generation will not outlive their parents.”

Empowering Pink

“When the idea for Pinkathon struck me, I was told Indian women are too busy looking after their families to take part in marathons. But with the kind of response Pinkathon has received over the years, I beg to differ. Indian women are undeniably active, but their activity is always focused on others. The only activity that will make a difference is one that is focused on yourself. The influence of a woman cannot be underestimated. If we want fit families, the women are where we need to begin.”