Are you a prisoner of your own mind?

Are you a prisoner of your own mind? Are your self-limiting beliefs stopping you from putting your best foot forward? Are they acting as shackles and preventing you from showcasing the immense potential that you have within you? If your answer to these questions is ‘yes’, let me tell you that you are not alone! …. There are so many out there just like you, including me.

Through this blog, I would like to share with you a story of a lady who not only fought but also triumphed over her inner demons, and in the process created history. This is the story of Preeti Lala, a 44-year-old social science teacher from Mumbai who showed her mettle by outrunning 23 of her fellow runners - all men - in a 24-hour stadium race. For the unversed, a 24-hour stadium race is a form of an ultramarathon, in which a competitor runs as far as they can in 24 hours around an athletic track of 400 meters.

As a young girl, who once never had any aspiration of becoming an athlete and every sports day at school would be a holiday for her, creating a record in the field of sports is a miracle in itself. It was that one incident that changed her course of life. A ligament tear led to excruciating pain in her heel leading Preeti straight to a doctor, who advised her to lose weight. It was then that her focus turned towards her health and she started her journey as an athlete. It is worth mentioning that she started her career after she became a mother.

Preeti ran her first 10km run at the age of 38, an age at which most people plan their retirement from active sports. Within six years, in this stellar performance, Preeti not only covered 193.6 km which was the maximum distance covered across both genders in this category but also became the first woman to win a 24-hour stadium race in India.

Time and again it had been proven that women are no less than men but Preeti with her sheer grit and determination proved that even when it comes to physical endurance, women are at par with men. Her exemplary accomplishment endorses the fact that when the right skill set is complemented with the right mindset, success is bound to come your way.

Let's not forget sky is the limit and you are bound to soar if only you are consistent and resolutely persistent towards achieving your goals.

"You indeed are as strong as you think you are!"