Goldies not oldies

The three-member Parsi team of Goldies not Oldies with a combined age of 200 years participated in the Goa Ironman 70.3 relay in October 2023. Their objective was to enjoy the event and successfully complete it within the allotted 8 hrs, 30 mins. Although theirs was the oldest team, they were able to offer formidable competition to younger teams. Conjointly they completed the course in 7 hrs, 23 mins and 18 secs earning them the 69th place among 108 participating teams: Zarir Baliwalla completed the 1.9 km swim course in 42 mins, 53 secs; Ariez Kharas, the 90 km ride on his bicycle in 4 hrs, 5 mins, 33 secs; and Pervin Batliwala, the 21 km run in 2 hrs, 25 mins, 9 secs.

As per the participation rules, teams of two or three members could be formed, whether all male, all female, or mixed. Among the 32 mixed teams, the Goldies not Oldies ranked 18th. At 70 years, Kharas was the oldest competitor this year. Batliwala was the second eldest in the general category and the eldest among females at 68 years. Baliwalla is 62 years old. Having competed in the 5 km Oceanman Asian Championship in Bali this July (see "Asian Oceanman,” Sports, Parsiana, August 21-September 6, 2023) Baliwalla continued to be in good form for the Ironman challenge. So too was Batliwala who had participated in the 42 km marathon in Tokyo this March (see "Major marathoner,” Sports, Parsiana, October 7-20, 2023). For Kharas, though, the competition was not easy.

Not only was he the eldest, "he had never cycled this distance in a competitive environment. He had to up his game big time through sheer hard work and practice,” remarked Baliwalla giving his colleague credit for completing the ride "on a hard course in merciless weather… Affectionately called ‘Santa,’ he is a truly modest and humble guy and the most recognized, loved and respected figure on the south Bombay amateur running and cycling circuit.”

When Parsiana interviewed the three of them on a group call on November 22, Kharas mentioned that every alternate day he would go on cycling practice, gradually increasing the distance covered from 40 to 75 km. Two days prior to the event, the cycle that was specially ferried from Bombay by train had to be handed over to the organizers.

Recalling the infectious enthusiasm and excitement among the trio through the event, Batliwala mentioned that the "three of us crossed the finishing line holding hands among cheering from the crowds.” They were continuously sought for interviews and felt like celebrities.

On the days leading up to the competition, they had their share of anxieties. Six days prior to the Ironman challenge, Baliwalla had scalded his leg badly after hot tea fell on him. He thus had to swim in the waters of Goa’s Miramar Beach with a gaping wound on his leg. Additionally, with hundreds of participants in the water trying to nudge out each other, "there is a high chance of getting kicked,” he related. The competitors are given a rolling swim start, when every five seconds three swimmers have to enter the water when the warden says "Go.”

While Baliwalla had completed his swim within an hour, Kharas was on his bicycle for over four hours, navigating his way on the closed road race which included inclines. Although not impacted by civilian traffic, the route became tremendously challenging in the hot and sultry Goa weather. Many could not complete the cycling course. Even for Batliwala who is used to running full (42 km) marathons, the three-lap 21 km course was exhausting due to the relentless afternoon heat. She would pour water on her neck to keep cool.

Whether they will be teaming up together for another Ironman challenge, they are not certain unless "Zarir chaavi maré (takes the initiative),” remarked Kharas who in the last 10 years has participated in triathlons in Goa, Hyderabad and Kolhapur. To him cycling has always been a recreational sport. He remembered his childhood when his mother would ask him to buy bread from the corner shop. He would gladly take his bicycle down three floors to enjoy the cycling experience. After his graduation in commerce he worked in the finance and accounts department at The Great Eastern Shipping Co Ltd for 33 years. Following his retirement, he has been "busy with BJP,” he says with a straight face. Since we had wrongly assumed he had started taking an interest in politics and the Bharatiya Janata Party, he clarified that BJP stood for (bartan, jhadoo, pocha — cleaning utensils, sweeping and swabbing)! On Batliwala’s prodding he mentioned that he helps out with the Lalkaka Family Fund, a charity trust, as also the Association for the Performance of Death Ceremonies of Parsi Zoroastrians (that accepts advance payment to arrange obsequial prayers for individuals who fear that no rites will be performed on their demise).

All three of them have plans to participate in the Mumbai Marathon on January 21, 2024, as also the Goa swimathon on February 3 and 4 where Baliwalla will be participating in the 5 km swim, and Batliwala and Kharas in the 1 km event. Baliwalla had his sights on the Oceanman world championship in Phuket on December 2, 2023 where he had qualified for the 5 km race.