The life and legacy of ‘Turbaned Twister’ Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathoner

The life and legacy of ‘Turbaned Twister’ Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathoner

Fauja Singh, fondly known as the “Turbaned Twister”, died on the age of 114 on July 14 after being struck by a automobile close to his residence in Beas Pind, Jalandhar.

Broadly believed to be the world’s oldest marathon runner, Singh was an icon who shattered information throughout age classes, most notably, persevering with to run marathons properly previous the age of 100.

The frail man, who weathered many a private storms with grit and perseverance, had spent a greater a part of his working profession within the UK and returned to his roots nearly three years in the past after retiring.

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“We’d at all times inform him that somebody his age working in India would at all times run the danger of being hit, given how reckless the driving right here is. That is what finally occurred, sadly,” stated his biographer Khushwant Singh, who chronicled the legendary athlete’s journey in The Turbaned Twister.

Because the world mourns the tragic finish of a unprecedented life, right here’s a glance again on the man, his journey, and the legacy he left behind.

‘In my youth, I didn’t know ‘marathons’ existed’

Fauja Singh was born on April 1, 1911, in Beas Pind, a small village in pre-Partition British India. The youngest of 4 siblings, Singh had a frail body as a toddler. Locals in his village even nicknamed him “Stick” as a result of his legs have been too weak to assist him, and he couldn’t stroll correctly till he was 5.

As a substitute of going to high school, he spent most of his early years serving to out on the household farm, feeding cattle and rising crops like corn and wheat.

“I used to be very weak as a toddler. I had confronted hassle strolling until the age of 5 years however then as I hung out on the farm and with the assist of my household and Waheguru, I began strolling,” he informed The Indian Categorical in an interview.

Fauja Singh. Picture courtesy: X

Earlier than turning 40, Singh had already lived by each World Wars and the horrors of the Partition. Regardless of every thing, he had by no means considered working in his youth.

“In my youth, I didn’t even know the phrase ‘marathon’ existed,” he as soon as informed the BBC. “I by no means went to high school, nor was I concerned in any type of sports activities. I used to be a farmer and spent most of my life within the fields.”

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Singh later married and had six youngsters. Life took a flip in 1993 when he moved to England after the dying of his spouse, Gian Kaur. He settled in Ilford, London, to reside together with his eldest son, Sukhjinder. Nonetheless, one other tragedy quickly adopted. Whereas visiting India, Singh witnessed the unintentional dying of his youthful son, Kuldeep. The loss left him shattered.

He returned to London and started to search out solace in lengthy walks and finally working, typically frequenting parks close to his residence. On one among his visits to the native gurdwara, he met a bunch of aged males who ran collectively.

It was right here that he met Harmander Singh, who would turn into his coach and one among his closest companions.

“Had I not met Harmander Singh, I wouldn’t have gotten into marathon working,” Singh had informed The Indian Categorical.

Turning into the ‘Turbaned twister’

Fauja Singh ran his first marathon—the London Marathon—in 2000, on the age of 89. He accomplished it in six hours and 54 minutes, kicking off a outstanding journey that might make him a world icon.

“Operating gave him a brand new focus in life, made it value dwelling,” his coach Harmander Singh informed The New York Instances in 2010.

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With every race, Singh grew stronger and quicker. By his third London Marathon, he had shaved 9 minutes off his earlier time. In 2003, he amazed the world once more on the Toronto Waterfront Marathon by clocking in at 5 hours and 40 minutes, enhancing his private greatest by over an hour.

He credited his well being and longevity to a easy life-style and disciplined vegetarian food regimen.

“Consuming much less, working extra, and staying completely satisfied – that’s the secret behind my longevity. That is my message to everybody,” he had informed BBC.

“Operating gave him a brand new focus in life, made it value dwelling,” Fauja Singh’s coach Harmander Singh stated in 2010. PTI

His dedication caught worldwide consideration. Adidas featured him of their Nothing Is Not possible marketing campaign alongside Muhammad Ali in 2003. The Pakistani Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf invited him to the inaugural Lahore Marathon in 2005, and Queen Elizabeth II welcomed him to Buckingham Palace in 2006.

Then got here 2011—the 12 months he turned 100. At a Toronto invitational meet named in his honour, Singh broke a number of world information in his age class. Nonetheless, Guinness World Data didn’t recognise any of them, as he didn’t have a start certificates from 1911 to show his age.

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Singh reveals off his medal from the Edinburgh Marathon in 2005.

“He was not bothered by any of that. He simply loved the eye that he obtained. I as soon as requested him ‘Baba, maran ton darr lagda? (Baba, are you afraid of dying?). He stated ‘haan, bilkul lagda. Haje te mele shuru hoye ne (Sure, after all. The enjoyable has solely began for me),” recalled his biographer Khuswant Singh.

In 2012, Singh proudly served as a torchbearer on the London Olympics. His ultimate aggressive race got here a 12 months later in Hong Kong, a 10-kilometre occasion, after which he introduced his retirement.

Legacy past the end line

By 2016, Singh had hung up his marathon sneakers, however that didn’t imply slowing down. Even in his later years, he would stroll as much as 16 km a day round Ilford in East London, his coach Harmander Singh stated.

In 2015, he was honoured with the British Empire Medal for his providers to sport and charity. His story reached new audiences in 2020 when author Simran Jeet Singh revealed Fauja Singh Retains Going—the primary youngsters’s image guide by a significant writer centred on a Sikh protagonist.

“I’m now 108 years outdated, which implies I’m in all probability greater than 100 years older than you,” Singh wrote within the guide’s foreword to younger readers. “Are you able to imagine that?”

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Fauja Singh setting a world file for the quickest centenarian in an 800m race in 2011. File picture/ AP.

Following his dying, tributes poured in from all corners of the world. PM Narendra Modi known as him “an distinctive athlete with unbelievable willpower” and praised how he impressed India’s youth to embrace health.

Again in Ilford, Harmander Singh has launched a marketing campaign to boost funds for a memorial clubhouse in Singh’s title, experiences The Indian Categorical.  “We’re accumulating £114 from near 9,000 folks all over the world,” he stated, “to construct one thing that retains the Fauja Singh legacy alive.”

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Even at 114, Singh was actively taking part in causes he believed in. He joined the ‘Nasha Mukt – Rangla Punjab’ march to advertise a drug-free Punjab.

Because the world bids farewell to Singh, his outstanding legacy will reside in each marathon run, each story of resilience, and within the thousands and thousands of lives he impressed.

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