Biography Of Sardarni Man Kaur (The Miracle Mom)
Introduction
- MAN KAUR was a native of Patiala born on March 1, 1916. she was the only child and lost her mother when she was a month old, her paternal grandmother brought her up as her father struggled to make ends meet. She married off early and then she started to work, Kaur was one of the caretakers for the Queen and children at the royal Patiala household of the then Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and later for the family of Maharaja Yadavindra Singh, father of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. While her husband Ranjeet Singh was one of the khansamahs of the royal house. Kaur and her husband shifted to Chandigarh in the 1960s and it was not until the age of 93 that she started Athletics. It was at the insistence of her son Guru Dev that Kaur started running. Man Kaur has two sons and a daughter, a number of grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She became a full-time housewife in 1934. Kaur took running at the ripe age of 93, she is the oldest and the fastest Centenarian woman athlete in the country, who made India proud many times. She won 31 international gold medals and over 13 national golds. Winning medals in various countries made her relive her youth.
Education Of Man Kaur
- Man Kaur did not receive any education. Her late father taught her to read and write in her mother tongue Punjabi. She also studied the Sikh Scripture at her home during her childhood.
Daily Routine Of Man Kaur
- Man Kaur wakes up between 5 am and 6 am. Her breakfast is light and consists mainly of fruits. She completes her lunch around 11:30 and dinner by 6:30 pm. She eats dry fruits and seeds as snacks in between. During the bath, she washes her clothes herself, and after that, she prays to the Lord. She starts her training after warming up and stretching, then she runs 40 meters and gradually increases the distance to 200 meters. She finishes her training by 7:45 am. She spends time reciting Sukhmani Sahib Path and meditating and listening to religious scriptures which helped her a lot during the lockdown. His mantra for fitness, longevity, and positivity is simple one should eat well and exercise well.
Man Kaur’s Diet
Her diet consists of six Rotis and sprouted black gram and barley. Apart from Rotis, she eats soy milk, desi pulses, nuts, seasonal fruits, juices, and kefir (fermented milk).
His son takes care of his diet, supports him during training, and cooks food for him. Kaur celebrated her 105th birthday at the house of her daughter Amrit Kaur.
How Man Kaur’s Sports Career Started?
- Man Kaur’s son Gurdev was participating in World Masters Athlete Championship there he saw other women from around the world also participating, then he encouraged her mother to participate as his mother had no health issues and her knees were also fine. After that Kaur used to live in accommodation at Punjab University Patiala for the past few years. Her son Gurdev Singh started taking her to the Punjab University Ground and noticed she would run well. Man Kaur along with Gurdev had been undergoing training in Patiala for the past eight months. The department provided them free accommodation on the University campus and training infrastructure to help them continue their sports training.
1. Chandigarh Masters Athletics Championship
- Age is no bar to realize one’s dreams says Man Kaur who won her first medal in 2007 at the Chandigarh Masters Athletics meet. When she was noticed by David Premnath General Secretary of the Masters Federation of India.
2. World Master Athletics Championship And It’s History
- The world Masters Games is an international multi sport event held every four years which is governed by the international Masters Games Association (IMGA) . It is open to all people with minimum criteria of age ranges between 25-36 years depending on the sport. It is a biennial championship for masters Athletics events held under the auspices of World Masters Athletics formerly known as World Association of Veteran Athletes for 35 years of age or older Masters Athletics which are divided into 5years age group. Earliest veteran competitors were mainly road runners now there are many games like shotput, javelin etc. It organises, regulate and administer Athletics for masters. It also maintains records and data of outstanding performance of the masters. It is organised under IAAF to conduct the worldwide sports of masters (veterans) and Athletics (track and field).
3. History Of World Master Games
Year | City | Country | Venue | Date |
1975 | Toronto | Canada | Centennial Park Stadium | 11-16 august |
1977 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Slottsskogsvallen | 8-13 August |
1979 | Hanover | West Germany | Niedersachsenstadion | 27July-2August |
1981 | Christchurch | New Zealand | Queen Elizabeth II Park | 7-14 August |
1983 | San Juan | Puerto Rico | Estadio sixto Escobar | 23-30 September |
1985 | Rome | Italy | Stadio olimpico | 22-30 July |
1987 | Melbourne | Australia | Olympic park stadium | 29 November -6th December |
1989 | Eugene | United States | Hayward field | |
1991 | Turku | Finland | 27th July – 6th August | |
1993 | Miyazaki | Japan | Miyazaki Athlete Stadium | 7th – 17th October |
1995 | Buffalo | United States | United Athlete Buffalo Stadium | 13th – 23rd July |
1997 | Durban | South Africa | Kings Park Athlete Stadium | 17th – 27th July |
1999 | Gateshead | United Kingdom | Gateshead International Stadium | 29th July – 8th August |
2001 | Brisbane | Australia | Queensland Sport and Athlete Centre | 1st July- 14th July |
2003 | Carolina | Puerto Rico | Complejo Deportivo Municipal Roberto Clemente | 1st July – 13th July |
2005 | San Sebastian | Spain | Anoeta Stadium | 22nd August – 3rd September |
2007 | Riccione | Italy | Stadio Italo Nicolette | 4th – 15th September |
2009 | Lahti | Finland | Lahden Stadion | 28th July – 8th August |
2011 | Sacramento | United States | Hernet Stadium | 6th July – 17t July |
2013 | Porto Alegre | Brazil | Centro Estadual De Treibamento Esportivo | 15th October – 27th October |
2015 | Lyon | France | Stade De Balmont | 4th – 16t August |
2016 | Perth | Australia | Western Australia Athlete Stadium | 26th October – 6th November |
2018 | Malaga | Spain | Malaga Athlete Stadium | 4th – 16th September |
2022 | Tampere | Finland | Ratinan Stadion | 29th June – 10th July |
2024 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Slottsskogsvallen and Ullcui stadium |
- In the past few years, Kaur has participated in track and field events in the US, Canada, Taiwan, New Zealand, Spain, Poland, and Malaysia. In 2017 she became the fastest Centenarian in the 100m category. She has participated in the five World Masters Athletics Championships and won 20 medals. Man Kaur’s achievements were as follows:
4. Gold Medal In Sacramento
- Man Kaur clinched two gold medals in Sacramento which is her first competitive tournament in 2011, Sacramento is in the United States, where she won two gold medals in 100 and 200metre races and broke existing world records. She was declared Athlete of the year in 2011.
5. Asian Masters Athletics Championship
- Man Kaur won gold in the 100m sprint in the Asian Masters Athletics Championship in Taiwan in 2012.
6. Canadian Masters Athletics Championship
- In 2013 after winning a Canadian competition where she bagged five medals, after the competition she was called to participate in a 5 km run in Patiala of which she ran first few hundred metres and she was also invited to spend a night at the palace. She was given the bedroom of Queen under whom she has worked.
7. Huntsman World Senior Games
- In 2013 again she took part in Huntsman World Senior Games where more than 10000 participants from around the world took part and Man Kaur won five medals in Shotput and Javelin throw. She broke the world records.
8. American Master Games 2016
- Man Kaur participated in American Master Games held in Vancouver, she won four medals in the 100plus category in August. She broke the previous record of an American lady in 100m by 3sec. In the process, she smashed her own record. She broke Guinness Book of World records for Javelin with a throw of 5.12m. she won medals for Shotput, Javelin also.
9. World Masters Athletics Championship 2017
- She won the 100metre sprint at the World Masters Games in Auckland. She won a gold medal. Kaur says that running is like meditation for her, she is the oldest person in the world to walk along the top of the Auckland Sky tower. She loves traveling and is fond of adventure. The skywalk in Auckland was her favorite. She became the oldest person to Skywalk around Auckland’s famous Sky tower,192m above the city. She broke the existing world records in the 100m race and Javelin throw.
10. World Masters Athletics Championship 2018
- Man Kaur ran her way to 100 m and 200m Gold at the World Masters meet in Malago, Spain in September she clinched a gold medal for Javelin’s throw and 200m Gold in the 200-104 age group.
11. World Masters Athletics Championship 2019
- Kaur secures four gold medals in the World Masters Athletics Championship in Torus, Poland. She bagged gold in a 60m dash race, 200m sprint, Shotput, and Javelin throw. In the World Masters Athletics calendar for 2019, twelve top Athletics got selected for each month for their excellent performance. Man Kaur was featured on the cover page as well as on the December page.
Guinness Book Of World Records
- Man Kaur broke the Guinness World Record for Javelin with a throw of 5.12m taking her Gold medal tally to four. She was the only competitor in her age group.
Nari Shakti Puraskar
- Kaur had taken up sprinting at the age of 93 and was able to win gold medals in her career. In 2019 the government of India awarded her Nari Shakti Puraskar for her achievements in Athletics by the President of India. The country’s highest civilian honor for women was presented by President Ram Nath Kovind on International women’s For her exceptional contributions towards women empowerment. The award carries an honorarium of 2 lakhs and a Certificate. According to the letter received by Man Kaur from the Union Ministry of Child Development this ceremony was organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on March 8.
Pinkathon
- Milind Soman founded Pinkathon which is India’s biggest women’s run and is attended by many every year. Milind found motivation in one of the women who runs in this Marathon and shared her story, she is none other than Man Kaur. He posted a picture with marathon mascot Man Kaur aged 105 who is the world champion athlete and a star runner of Pinkathon. Man Kaur encouraged the women out there to stay fit and motivated.
Invited To Tour University In Baru Sahib And In International Laureus World Sports Award 2018
Man Kaur 2019 competed in Poland and won four events in her category, she completed a 60m race in 36 seconds after this she and her son were invited to tour University in Baru sahib where they inspired students when they spoke about their achievements and the diet they follow.
Kaur is one of the nominees for the coveted Laureus World Sports Awards in the new category “Best Sporting Moment of the Year” which will highlight the power of sports in changing the world. Starting from August a winner out of six nominations was being chosen every month through online voting at mylaureus.com. this process would continue till December at the end of which the five monthly winners would move to the final round. Public voting will ultimately decide the winner and then the name will be announced at the Laureus Awards Ceremony in 2018.
Fit India Movement
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide Fit India Movement which he believes will take the country towards a healthier future. Centenarian Sprinter Man Kaur hailed the Central Government saying a country can progress only if the citizens are healthy. She inspires youth and other citizens, in general, to be more conscious about their diet and exercise and also said that sedentary lifestyle habits can be detrimental to health. Fit India Movement aimed people to include physical activity and sports in their everyday lives.
Tragic Death Of Man Kaur
- Multiple World Masters Championship Gold Medallist and Multiple Asian Masters Championship medallist Athlete aged 105 years old Man Kaur breathed her last at Dera Bassi Hospital near Mohali on Saturday afternoon. The Punjab Athlete who was diagnosed with Gall Bladder and liver cancer earlier this year was undergoing treatment at the hospital for the last one month after getting treatment from Indore hospital. On 31st July 2021, she was admitted to Ayurvedic hospital in Derabassi in Mohali earlier. Her family said she died of a heart attack at around 1. p.m on Saturday. Gurdev took his mother to the hospital in Patiala after she complains of pains in her liver and Gallbladder. Gurdev Singh said that his mother faced cancer only due to covid that had restricted her physical activities and her visit outside. He said Man Kaur avoided moving out to carry out any activity or practice athlete and in her last days, she also faced hearing problems.
Conclusion
- Man Kaur was an Indian track and field Athlete, she holds World records and inspires Youth with her fitness as well as healthy living. She encourages Youth and others to take up Sports, and physical activity and should stay away from drugs. She enjoys meeting new people and loves to recite Gurbani( Sikh Hymns).
Top 13 Interesting Facts About Man Kaur
History TV 18 showcases the great Man Kaur when she won the 200m Gold medal in the age group of 100-104 at the World Masters Athletics Championship.
She was awarded the lifetime achievement award in Toronto.
She is the only lady athlete from India to hold 4 World records in her age group. Her name has been entered in the Limca Book of World Records 2016 edition.
Man Kaur on invitation from Sri Prakash Vidyaniketan to Participate in a run on Beach Road to create awareness on Fit India – Fit Children Program organized by the Institution.
Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda said Man Kaur was 104 years old, and always so full of life that it seems less, it always inspires us all.
Shilpa Shetty while meeting Man Kaur was very impressed by her fitness and excitement about Sports.
Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu has expressed grief over the demise of Centenarian Sprinter and Sportsperson Man Kaur. He said her fitness and achievements in her old age will always inspire Generations of Young players.
Man Kaur was declared the face of the Fit India Movement by the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry.
Gurdev and his mother Man Kaur used to hold special sessions with sportspersons to motivate them to a healthy lifestyle and stay away from drugs.
Man Kaur stays motivated by running and workouts, she always tries to improve her timing.
Man Kaur’s favorite food is healthy food, there is no favorite food of hers, she likes whichever food is good for her health.
Man Kaur says anger teaches you about Yourself.
Man Kaur gave a message to young mothers, as they should learn about eating healthy as they can guide coming generations to choose and eat healthy.