It was a moment of pure joy as Shreyas G Hosur crossed the finish line of “Ironman Triathlon” in Germany’s Hamburg on Sunday. The 34-year-old Deputy Financial Advisor of South Western Railway has become the first Indian Railways officer to complete the physically demanding event. As he enjoys the accolade, the bureaucrat says the achievement came after a long period of preparation.
The gruelling single-day sports event includes swimming for 3.8 kms, cycling for 180 km and a run of 42.2 kilometres. Hosur, hailing from Bengaluru, completed the championship in 13 hours 23 mins 36 seconds. A clip where he is heading towards the finish line while holding the Tricolour was shared by the Ministry of Railways on social media. Raosaheb Patil Danve, Union Minister of State for Railways, Coal and Mines, also shared the clip and congratulated Hosur.
“The event requires a lot of endurance and strength. Once you start, you are alone and manage everything, whether it is an injury or bike repair. There are a lot of uncertainties and the weather in Germany is different,” Hosur told indianexpress.com from Europe.
He also said that there were moments when you feel like giving up. “I had cramps in my hamstring after 60 kilometers of the bike ride and I was scared. So, I got off the bike and stretched and took a rest for a while to relax my muscles. Afterwards, I had to be a little conservative with my effort to ensure that I complete the event. There is a huge demand on your body. I woke up hours ahead of the event and I took 13 hours 23 minutes to complete it,” he said.
Shreyas Hosur has become the first railway officer to complete the “Ironman” triathlon, considered the world’s toughest single-day sporting event, in Hamburg, Germany.
Hearty congratulations to Shreyas for this achievement and best wishes for a bright future. #ShreyasHosur @RailMinIndia @SWRRLY pic.twitter.com/kSnobEhtyl– Raosaheb Patil Danve (osraosahebdanve) June 6, 2022
Hosur prepared for three years for the Ironman Triathlon. The Covid pandemic came as a challenge and he had to learn how to balance the demands posed by his job with his prep. However, he steered through it all with perseverance and dedication.
“Unlike professional athletes, amateurs like me need to condition my body for the event and the last two years were dedicated to the purpose. I focussed on the event for the last six months. Juggling between my duties as a civil servant and training came with a lot of sacrifices. However, many people came forward to support me,” he said.
“I used to plan meticulously prior during the days I needed to travel as part of my job. My colleagues also supported me and congratulatory messages have been flowing in since the event,” said the Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) officer.
Hosur is thankful to his coach who helped him prepare for the event. “I underwent training for about one and a half years under Somya Raut, former Indian football team coach. He trained me to face adversities. I learned how the body reacts to injuries and it helped me during the event.”
Hosur also said that he led a rather “boring life”, waking up early, going to bed by 9 or 10 pm, and abstaining from eating junk food. “I used to wake up at 5:30 am and underwent training for about two hours to build strength. After my office hours, I worked out for an hour. I strictly followed a nutritious diet and cut off junk food. My wife, Divya Hosur supported me a lot, even though she has a highly demanding job as the General Manager of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation. She was left teary-eyed while witnessing me finish the event.”
Hosur, who completed Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science participated in about four to five Olympic distance triathlons, and four half-iron distance triathlons before the big event. The 2012 batch civil servant was active in sports during his college and school days. However, he did not pursue sports as a career.