HAPPENING -- 28:

MOUNTAIN GAUR’S RUNNING CLUB  ACHIEVERS HONOURED

 

By P S SUNDAR

 

Last Saturday of November 2021 was a memorable day for the 18 achievers attached to The Mountain Gaur’s Running Club (TMGRC)  in Coonoor as they were honoured by the Bangalore-based ‘Life is Calling’ organisation which specialises in endurance activities including running and cycling.

 

TMGRC’s founder Pamela Benny Alves told me, “These persons have been honoured for their running fete for 100 days with a minimum of two kilometres daily but we had participants doing marathon and semi-marathon running each day”.

 

Pamela, who is The Ambassador for The Nilgiris for ‘Life is Calling’ organisation said, “In view of the Covid restrictions, the event was organised virtually and our members who had stuck in various places participated in their respective places including Dubai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Chidambaram and Kotagiri besides Coonoor”.

 

Cyril

Pamela

“Most participants were non-runners or seldom walkers.  The event was organised to motivate people to go for fit lifestyle and our fitness trainer Cyril Gonsalves provided the necessary fitness training in Coonoor”, said Pamela who bagged India’s Rank No: 1.

TMGRC’s organiser Pooja Singh Yohan said, “Our member Maria Benny bagged India’s Rank No: 3.  Interestingly, most runners were 40 to 60 years age.  This event has motivated more women in the age bracket to take up to running activities to stay fit”.   

While Cyril presented mementoes to Pamela and Maria, Pooja honoured each with flowers.

According to Pamela the following were the participants:

 

1.Sunitha Varghese  (43)                            

2.Victoria  Savarimuthu (51)

3.Maria Benny (41)

4.Pamela Benny Alves (50)

5.Andrew Joseph Alves (20)

6. Sheila Hillary (60)

7. Cyril Gonsalves (35)

8.Deirdre Fernandez (42)

9.Sivalinga Babu (39)

10.Deepa Babu (37)

11.Samyuktha Ganesan (12)

12. Shital Maloo (41)

13. Sathya (50)

14.  Ramesh N Swamy (51)

15.Smitha Joseph (53)

16.Sudha Babu (44)                  

17.Manoj Varghese (51)

18.Faye W (40)

 

On their request, I was the Chief Guest and adorned each with the Medal.  

 

In my Chief Guest address, I motivated them all by highlighting the significant contribution of: (a) Pamela (b) family members especially of Pamela (c) fitness trainer Cyril Gonsalves and (d) all those who ran for their level of achievement.

I threw out a formula for success in running irrespective of age, gender or family circumstances.   I called this formula “PAMELA” as an abbreviation to expand into Perseverance, Attitude, Managing time, Exercise to stay fit, Longing for long distance and long hours of running and Aiming higher by Achievers.

The impact was instantaneous and impressive so much so that Pamela recorded: “Fitting end to the 100 days of running!  Team Mountain Gaur's, an amazing appreciation by the esteemed P S Sundar Sir at the medal Ceremony! That speech is a "must hear" for every runner!    We were immensely inspired by this Chief Guest's speech!”

 

She can be reached on phone: 9626343774.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 

 ACHIEVEMENT -- 15:

SISTER-BROTHER DUO SELECTED FOR NATIONAL CUE CHAMPIONSHIP

 By P S SUNDAR 

 

Coonoor-based college student and her school going brother have brought laurels to The Nilgiris district by getting selected to represent Tamil Nadu in the National Billiards and Snooker championship to be held in Bhopal.   If selected at the Nationals, they stand a chance to represent India in international tourneys.

 

This follows their winning Medals and places at the 37^th TN State Championship 2021 held in Chennai.

 

Mariam Agnish (20) studying in BCom (final year) in Providence College for Women in Coonoor made a clean sweep by annexing Medals in both Snooker and Billiards in all the four categories she contested.

 

She told me, “In Snooker state championship, I won two Silver Medals each in Ladies and under-21 categories.   In Billiards, I won Silver in Ladies category and Bronze in under-21 category”.

 

Mariam had represented India in World Snooker championship twice in Russia and once in Belgium.

 

She holds the credit of being the only female from The Nilgiris district to have represented India in official international cue game tourneys abroad.

 

Her brother Sham Alwin (13), studying in VIII standard in Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, has bagged two ranks.

 

He said, “In the state championship of under-18 category, I bagged Fourth Place in Billiards and Fifth in Snooker and have been selected for the Nationals in both”.

 

Earlier at the selections held in Tirupur, he bagged Gold in both Billiards and Snooker.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

 

 ACHIEVEMENT -- 14:

AGE IS NOT A DETERRENT:

AT 50, SHE RANKS No: 1 IN 100 DAYS RUNNING

 

By P S SUNDAR 

 

That age is not a deterrent to achieve in life has once again been proved right with 50-year-old mother of two adult sons living in Mount Pleasant in Coonoor emerging as Rank No: 1 in all-India level in 100 days of running each day.

 

Pamela Benny Alves, Ambassador for Nilgiris of the Bangalore-based ‘Life is Calling’ organisation, which specialises in endurance activities including running and cycling, undertook 100 days of daily running to cover 2050.32 kilometres and bag Rank No: 1 among the over 500 participants in the whole of India.

 

“On an average, I ran 20.50 kilometres daily totalling 268:13:23 hours of running for 100 days.  This marked an achievement of 7 minutes to cover a kilometre”, she told me.

 

“I also ran another event organised by the world famous HDOR for 100 days to cover 2,590 kilometres.   For this, for three days, I did full marathon of 42 kilometres, one day 60 kilometres and many days of half marathon of 21 kilometres.   The running was each day without break – the first in the Nilgiris to achieve this”, she disclosed.

 

“In this event, I bagged sixth rank in India among 5,998 participants and first in the Nilgiris.  Among the 307 participants in the 50+ age group, I bagged rank No: 1”, she noted.

 

Pamela said that she beat hostile terrain and high elevation of The Nilgiris to reach these national-level positions.   “My fitness trainer Cyril Gonsalves contributed significantly to keep me fit”, she noted.

 

She attributed the co-operation from her husband Sebastiao Alves in all aspects as a principal cause for her achievement.   Both of them run a NGO called ‘The Transcultural Mission’ as a charity trust in Coonoor.  As part of it, this summer, ‘The Mountain Gaur’s Club’ was formed.   “The aim is to enhance fitness, make non-walkers into walkers and walkers into runners”, Pamela said.

 

She added, “Anyone needing help to take up running as an endurance and fitness endeavour, irrespective of age or gender can reach me on 9626343774”.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)  

        

  

 ACHIEVEMENT -- 13:

ST ANTONY’S STUDENTS BAG GOVT’S NMM SCHOLARSHIP

 

By P S SUNDAR 

 

Six students of the Government-aided St Antony’s Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, have done proud to their institution and parents by winning the coveted National Means cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS) of Government of India.

School’s Headmaster Bro Dr Thomas Selvam honoured them with cash prize and certificate in the presence of their parents.

“The students – Franklin, Nitheeswar, Rishal, Ravishankar, Abuthakir and Dharshan – got the scholarship by successfully clearing the relevant competitive exams guided by teachers – George, Velanakanni and Leema”, the Headmaster said.

“These students are now studying in IX standard and this Scholarship comprises ₹ 48,000 to each student to complete his higher secondary course at the rate of ₹ 12,000 per year for four years from now”, he detailed.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 

 CONTEMPORARY -- 1

CORONA PANDEMIC MANAGEMENT:

SCHOOL HEADS URGE PARENTS NOT TO LET CHILDREN PLAY OUTSIDE

 

BY P S SUNDAR 

 

In the context of corona second wave infecting children and experts calling for special care to protect children, Heads of Schools in The Nilgiris have urged parents not to let their children play outside especially with other children during the ongoing lockdown.

 

“Reports have it that some 50,000 children have already been infected by this deadly disease and some 12 and 13 year olds have died in various places in the country calling for more responsible parenting during this lockdown”, Principal of Stanes Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, Glenn Croning told me.

 

“We have strictly advised parents to ensure that their children stay indoors during this lockdown”, he said.

 

“As the Chief Minister M K Stalin said, ‘this is not leave but lockdown’.   The very purpose of closing the schools is to protect children from Covid-19 but if they are let to play with other children outside, it defeats the purpose of closing schools and exposes the children to getting infected”, Principal of St Joseph’s Boy’s Higher Secondary School and Academy Bro Solomon Alexander said.   

 

“I am addressing parents to be cautious on this”, he said.

 

“Recently, we took measures to prevent some of our students from going for work as lockdown has hit the family income but we also notice some parents letting their children play in the open to drive away lockdown boredom”, Headmaster of Government-aided St Antony’s Higher Secondary School Bro Dr Thomas Selvam said.

 

“We do not want even a single student to suffer from corona especially due to the negligence of parents and have warned them”, he noted.

(response can be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 LANDMARK -- 4:

GOVT OF INDIA CONFERS ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ TITLE TO GURUKULAM SCHOOL.

By P S SUNDAR 

 Gurukulam School which has been imparting quality English medium education to rural children in Agalar village of Thuneri circle near Ooty has been conferred the title of ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Government of India.

 

The Chief Educational Officer of The Nilgiris district Nasimudeen handed over the relevant certificates to Gurukulam Correspondent N Arjjunan and Principal Sureshkumar in the presence of District Educational Officer Pandiarajasekharan in Ooty.

The Chief Educational Officer Nasimudeen (right extreme) presenting ‘FIT INDIA SCHOOL’ certificates to Gurukulam School’s Correspondent Arjjunan (second right), Principal Sureshkumar (second left) in the presence of District Educational Officer Pandiarajasekharan (left extreme) in Ooty. 

“This follows the appreciation of the Government of the equal importance we give to academics and extra-curricular activities”, Arjjunan told me.

 

“We encourage all our students to participate regularly in any of the various sports activities.  In particular, all students are given yoga practice by lour teachers who hold Masters degree in yoga. Many of our students have bagged awards in various yoga contests”, he explained.   

 

The Government has confirmed that the school can henceforth use FIT INDIA flag and logo.

(Response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

 LANDMARK -- 3:

ST JOSEPH’S CALENDAR MOTIVATES STUDENTS TO THINK POSITIVE

 By P S SUNDAR 

 

After prolonged lockdown and online classes, when the 133-year-old St Joseph’s Boys’ Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School as also St Joseph’s Academy (for ICSE and ISC) re-opened for Tenth and Plus Two classes following Government orders, the school has welcomed each student with a wall calendar for 2021 on the theme ‘Positive Thinking’.

This is highly relevant in the current Covid-19 pandemic to uphold the morale of the students and keep them focussed on winning in life.

 

“We are paying special attention now to motivate the students to replace negative thoughts, especially arising from Corona-related issues, with positive ones to get positive results”, St Joseph’s Principal Bro Solomon Alexander told me.

“Underlining that ‘positive thinking’ changes our behaviour, we are counselling the students that even the darkest nights will end as the sun rises and optimism is a ‘happiness magnet’.  If you stay positive, good people will be drawn to you, we repeatedly tell the students”, he said.

“With this thought, we have designed this year’s calendar devoting each page to a positive aspect like leadership, dreaming vision, forethought, synergy, innovation, changing future with technology, exquisiteness, Art and Culture and compassion”, he disclosed.

“We also focus on contemporary aspects of hygiene and well being”, he added.

 

The calendar measuring 27 inches x 17 inches carries pleasing pictures of the infrastructure of the school hailed as an icon of Coonoor.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)