In the vibrant city of Chandigarh, a small figure shuffles around the house with a lightness that belies her age. Man Kaur, 101 years old, is a woman of unwavering routines. With prayer on her lips and a spring in her step, she begins each day with the same intent—to run.
Born in 1916, Mann Kaur’s early years were woven from simple routines and quiet dedication to family. But a new journey called out to her. At 93, with years of life behind her, she arrived at the starting line, ready to begin again. What started as a single step turned into a journey that would take her across the world, breaking records and inspiring thousands.
Her story is not one of childhood dreams or lifelong training. Instead, it’s the tale of a woman who defied time and expectations to embrace a new chapter. Gurudev, a senior athlete himself, had spent years running, pushing his own limits in the twilight of life. One day, watching his mother move through her days with quiet strength and resilience, he saw something others might miss—potential. In her gentle steps, he sensed untapped vitality. When he suggested she try running; it sparked a transformation that would redefine them both.
Under Gurudev’s watchful eye, she drank kefir in the mornings, walked briskly around the house, and savoured her simple meals. She even made her way to the gym to lift weights. On the track, she wasn’t bound by her age or her role as mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother; she was simply Man — a woman running towards herself. Through the years, her journey took her across the world, from Chandigarh to New Zealand, where she competed in the World Master Senior Olympic Games, and more. People who saw her on the track were inspired not just by her accomplishments but by the transformation she embodied.
In a society that often tells women, especially the elderly, to fade into the background, she takes centre stage, blazing a trail for others to follow. She’s a testament to what the human spirit can achieve, challenging not only the limitations of her own body but the very notion of ageing itself.
She was a woman embodying the belief that we are never too old, never too late, and never too far from finding ourselves.