Energy and exercise

He’s small and he’s tough. Five-year-old Rooyintan Mehenty can do a large number of push-ups, squats, calf exercises, chin-ups (front and back), abdomen crunches… some of them at a stretch, some with breaks in between, as per information forwarded to Parsiana by Ervad Yezdi P. Panthaki, himself a body builder who has participated and won in competitions in his 60s.

Rooyintan trains under his father Ervad Nozer who is a boiwalla at the H. B. Wadia Atas Bahram in Bombay and who is himself a second degree black belt in karate. On May 17, 2008, Rooyintan demonstrated his skill at a Parsi Gymkhana gathering in the presence of Rusi Bhumgara and other committee members, says Rooyintan’s mother Monaz. "The child is outstanding,” asserts Bhumgara. "They were so impressed that they have offered Rooyintan free use of their gym facilities,” adds Nozer.

Shahriver and Rooyintan Mehenty;

Could not strenuous exercise at a tender age cause burnout or injury? we query. "Rooyintan is being monitored by a well-known doctor who checks him periodically,” states the father. "The child comes regularly to my karate class. He promises to be a good Parsi prospect in karate — quite a breath of fresh air,” states Kyoshi Vispy Kapadia.

The five-year-old is also good in bhantar (prayer), adds Kapadia. "I teach him and he can already recite all the five gahs (full version) by heart and is learning the Khorshed Nyaish,” declares Nozer. Rooyintan is in Senior K.G. at the Sir J. J. School at Princess Street.

Rooyintan’s sibling, six-year-old Shahriver who is in standard one at the Gamadia Girls High School, has "conditioned herself to body stretching and demonstrated her flexibility at the Parsi Gymkhana gathering,” notes Panthaki, exhorting the community to give the children as much encouragement as possible.