Ramabai Ranvir, a 47-year-old widow, decided to participate in the race despite having no prior experience in running. She only knew about the possibility of winning 3000 rupees if she took first place.
She got into a pickup truck with a group of police applicants from the Bid academy, where she works, hoping to compete in her first run. She was unconcerned about lacking long-distance training and was not overly worried that she was the only participant without shoes.
In her saree, after her slippers broke during the race, Ramabai ran 3 kilometers with an unwavering mother's spirit fighting for the cash prize that could ease her difficulties in paying for her daughters' education, reports Ardra Nair.
She told TOI: 'I ran as if my life depended on it. I didn't know how long it would take me to cover the distance. I stopped only after crossing the finish line.' Ramabai expressed joy that she was paid 5000 rupees instead of the declared 3000 rupees. She used this money to buy notebooks and pens for her daughter Puja, and saved the remaining amount for Arti.
Ramabai works in the kitchen at Dnyandeep Academy, preparing over 200 chapatis daily for a monthly salary of 9000 rupees. Originally from Potra, Hingoli, she took this job to provide for the education of her two daughters after her husband's death in 2012.
On August 28, her younger daughter Arti (20 years old), a bachelor's student in computer science living alone in Nandade, called asking for money for food and rent. Ramabai, who had no spare cash, spent a sleepless night.
At dawn, she heard the academy trainers gathering applicants for a short race. She immediately decided to join the competition. She emphasized: 'There is no pain worse than the inability to take care of your children. As soon as I learned about the race, winning became my only goal.'
Datta Darade, the academy director, noted that Ramabai's determination touched him. The academy registered her elder daughter Puja (22 years old) for free, providing her with a job and accommodation. He said: 'I was taking my students to the marathon. When Ramabai said she wanted to come with us, I asked her: 'What will you be doing there?' She replied: 'I will run.' I couldn't believe it when she won in the over 30 age category.'
Puja came in second place in the 18–30 age group and received 2000 rupees. Arti was shocked when her sister informed her that their mother had won. She commented: 'Our mother studied only up to the 7th grade and worked her whole life without taking breaks even when sick. She didn't hesitate to send me to study in Nandade. I am not surprised that she decided to win the race for her family.'
