Mumbai Marathon: At age 104, Dagadu Bhamre has only begun his journey

Dagadu Bhamre

One would expect a person to be mostly confined to his home or at best walk a short distance to keep fit after the age of 100. But Malegaon resident Dagadu Bhamre, who celebrated his 104th birthday on January 8, is all set to participate in the senior citizens category of the Tata Mumbai Marathon this Sunday. Bhamre, who has a hearing problem, but is otherwise hale and hearty, said that his fixed daily routine is the secret to his fitness. "I wake up at 5am, then take a bath, finish my breakfast, which mostly consists of upma or poha and then visit the nearby temple. Lunch comprises of roti, sabji [vegetable], dal [lentils] and chawal [rice]. I don't eat spicy food and have milk and curds daily. I walk around four to five kilometers every day," Bhamre told mid-day over the phone yesterday, carefully listening to the questions relayed to him through his son-in-law Subhash Wani.

When in Mumbai, Bhamre lives at his son-in-law's place in Vikhroli, and worked as an accountant before retirement. But he comes back to the city every year to celebrate his birthday. "I am a part of Prabhat Mitra Mandal, a senior citizens group in Vikhroli. They are my extended family and every year I'm here to celebrate my birthday with them," said Bhamre, who lives with one of his six sons in Malegaon.

Bhamre participated in the Mumbai Marathon last year too. "Last year, my son-in-law Suresh suggested that I participate in the senior citizens run. Before that, I had no clue what a marathon is. Now, it feels great when people come up to me and say that I inspire them. It infuses positive energy in me and keeps me going," added Bhamre, who claims to have never felt the need to undergo any health check-up or stress test in his life.

When asked about the secret to his longetivity, he joked, "A family of 54 - I have six sons and their wives, two daughters and their husbands, nine grandsons, nine grand daughters, four great grand sons, six great grand daughters, three great grand daughter-in-laws, seven grandson-in-law."

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