No one typifies the moniker ‘Ironman’ as much as ex-Marine Commando (MARCOS) Praveen Kumar Teotia. And it’s not only because he has completed the renowned Ironman Triathlon — a gruelling competition that features swimming (3.8km), biking (180km), and running (42.2km) within 17 hours — four times (South Africa 2018, Malaysia 2018, America 2019, Australia 2024) but also given his sheer will to stay highly active despite a damaged lung after being shot four times by terrorists at the Taj Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Recalling that skirmish with four terrorists in a dark room, Teotia says: “I was trying to fall back when I got shot. One bullet went through my right lung, another sliced my left ear, the third got lodged in a spare magazine stored in my jacket while the fourth got lodged in my vest, inches in front of the heart. Moments before being shot, I had resigned myself to fate and tossed a hand grenade that would have eliminated the terrorists and me, but it never went off.”
The lung damage was severe and doctors warned Teotia against physical activities like running or swimming as they could prove fatal. However, the 40-year-old, began with breathing exercises through yoga and slowly graduated to slow running before becoming an avid marathoner. Currently, he is preparing for Sunday’s Ahmedabad Marathon. “I began practicing yoga in 2009 to strengthen myself mentally and physically. After my injuries, I felt like a child, who had to learn every activity from scratch. Then, in 2012 I began running short distances. In 2015, I ran the half-marathon in Mumbai and since then I’ve been participating in marathons all over the world,” Teotia told mid-day.
The 2008 events used to haunt him briefly, but yoga came to his rescue again. “Yoga has the ability to completely erase any nightmares or flashbacks. It awakens your spirit and self-confidence, which helps you to move on in life. It’s not like I don’t face any pain from my injuries. In fact, the pain in my lungs is a constant companion. Every run could be my last, but I don’t fear death having looked it in the eye 17 years ago. I’d rather die doing something I love,” adds Teotia, who served in the MARCOS from 2006 to 2008.
Teotia had participated in last year’s Ahmedabad Marathon too, finishing third — among runners of the defence forces — with a timing of 3 hrs 53 mins and 46 secs. “Then, I was running as a pace-setter to help a friend finish under the four-hour mark. Half-way through the race, when I was sure he’d achieve his target, and since I had some energy, I went for it and finished third. This time, I don’t care about finishing on the podium. I just want to enjoy my run,” concluded the former Indian Navy soldier, who is now an advocate.
