‘My next challenge is to cycle around the world – a 22,000-km ride’
MAJOR GENERAL VIKRAM DOGRA,
59, THE ONLY SERVING INDIAN ARMY OFFICER AND ONLY GENERAL IN THE WORLD TO HOLD THE IRONMAN TITLE
That Army personnel are fitter than the average Joe is no state secret. But Major General Vikram Dogra of 17 Poona Horse Regiment takes his penchant for fitness a notch higher. What makes the 59-year-old stand out from his colleagues is that he is the only serving Indian Army officer and the only General in the world to have finished the prestigious and challenging Ironman Triathlon. The Delhi-based army officer finished Ironman Austria last month, becoming the oldest Indian to finish what is arguably the toughest single-day sporting event in the world. The Ironman Triathlon requires participants to finish three legs — swimming for 3.8 km, cycling for 180 km, and running for 42 km — within 17 hours.
‘AGE IS JUST A NUMBER’
Growing up in an Army household, Dogra says he was always into fitness. “My father was in the Army and he was posted in Udhampur, J&K, where I was born. Thereafter, we went all over the country just like Army kids do, but I was always into fitness as a youngster,” he recounts. However, his tryst with triathlons began only recently. He tells us, “About five years ago, there was a triathlon held in Delhi in the sprint category, which is the smallest distance category in triathlons. I participated in it and that ignited my desire to do the ultimate triathlon — the Ironman.” He might have started competing in triathlons in his 50s, but he argues that it wasn’t a late start. “I think age is just a number. Whenever you feel the desire to start, you can. I was committed towards it and there was a lot of perseverance involved,” he says.
‘MY FAMILY SUPPORTED ME’
The Ironman Triathlon is known not just for its exacting distances, but also for the intensive and exhaustive preparations one needs in order to simply compete, let alone finish. Being a senior Army officer, Major General Dogra says it was quite challenging for him to balance work and training. He shares, “I used to get back from office, change, and go for a run, starting at 7 pm to about 10 pm. I would cycle only on weekends because that required five to six hours of uninterrupted time.”
Luckily, he says, he had his family’s support. He tells us, “If your family is not supporting you, it’s a challenge for you to make time for the activity and your family. I used to start cycling at 2 am, but my wife and children supported me.” And, Dogra reveals that his colleagues and superiors got to know about the Ironman journey only after he had completed the event. “I did not inform the Army because it was a personal goal. So, they got to know only after the event was over. They tweeted about it and there have been numerous accolades from them,” he says.
A COMPETITION WITH SELF
While he regularly competes with (and beats) men in triathlons who are half his age, Dogra says that it does nothing to him apart from making him feel young at heart. His true competition — in his own words — is with himself. “It feels good, of course, to always feel young. But really, it’s not a competition with others. You are competing with your own self. When I went in for it, I wasn’t trying to beat anybody’s time. I was hoping to finish within 14-15 hours, which I did. But now in hindsight, I feel I could have shaved off at least an hour of my time. Hopefully, I can go in for another Ironman where I would be able to do that,” he sums up.
MAJOR GENERAL VIKRAM DOGRA,
59, THE ONLY SERVING INDIAN ARMY OFFICER AND ONLY GENERAL IN THE WORLD TO HOLD THE IRONMAN TITLE
That Army personnel are fitter than the average Joe is no state secret. But Major General Vikram Dogra of 17 Poona Horse Regiment takes his penchant for fitness a notch higher. What makes the 59-year-old stand out from his colleagues is that he is the only serving Indian Army officer and the only General in the world to have finished the prestigious and challenging Ironman Triathlon. The Delhi-based army officer finished Ironman Austria last month, becoming the oldest Indian to finish what is arguably the toughest single-day sporting event in the world. The Ironman Triathlon requires participants to finish three legs — swimming for 3.8 km, cycling for 180 km, and running for 42 km — within 17 hours.
‘AGE IS JUST A NUMBER’
Growing up in an Army household, Dogra says he was always into fitness. “My father was in the Army and he was posted in Udhampur, J&K, where I was born. Thereafter, we went all over the country just like Army kids do, but I was always into fitness as a youngster,” he recounts. However, his tryst with triathlons began only recently. He tells us, “About five years ago, there was a triathlon held in Delhi in the sprint category, which is the smallest distance category in triathlons. I participated in it and that ignited my desire to do the ultimate triathlon — the Ironman.” He might have started competing in triathlons in his 50s, but he argues that it wasn’t a late start. “I think age is just a number. Whenever you feel the desire to start, you can. I was committed towards it and there was a lot of perseverance involved,” he says.
‘MY FAMILY SUPPORTED ME’
The Ironman Triathlon is known not just for its exacting distances, but also for the intensive and exhaustive preparations one needs in order to simply compete, let alone finish. Being a senior Army officer, Major General Dogra says it was quite challenging for him to balance work and training. He shares, “I used to get back from office, change, and go for a run, starting at 7 pm to about 10 pm. I would cycle only on weekends because that required five to six hours of uninterrupted time.”
Luckily, he says, he had his family’s support. He tells us, “If your family is not supporting you, it’s a challenge for you to make time for the activity and your family. I used to start cycling at 2 am, but my wife and children supported me.” And, Dogra reveals that his colleagues and superiors got to know about the Ironman journey only after he had completed the event. “I did not inform the Army because it was a personal goal. So, they got to know only after the event was over. They tweeted about it and there have been numerous accolades from them,” he says.
A COMPETITION WITH SELF
While he regularly competes with (and beats) men in triathlons who are half his age, Dogra says that it does nothing to him apart from making him feel young at heart. His true competition — in his own words — is with himself. “It feels good, of course, to always feel young. But really, it’s not a competition with others. You are competing with your own self. When I went in for it, I wasn’t trying to beat anybody’s time. I was hoping to finish within 14-15 hours, which I did. But now in hindsight, I feel I could have shaved off at least an hour of my time. Hopefully, I can go in for another Ironman where I would be able to do that,” he sums up.
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