A 47-year-old woman from Ambajogai in Maharashtra’s Beed district won a local marathon after running in a sari and barefoot, hoping to raise money for her daughters’ education. She received a first prize of Rs 3,000.
The woman, Ramabai Ranveer, lost her husband in a road accident in Mumbai and has been raising two daughters. Determined to secure good education for them, she works as a cook at the same coaching centre where her elder daughter is preparing for competitive exams.
When a local organisation announced a marathon with a Rs 3,000 top prize, Ramabai decided to participate despite not having sportswear or shoes. Though she started with footwear, she removed it shortly after the race began and continued barefoot, running over stones on the road and surprising onlookers by finishing first.
Speaking about the win, Ramabai said she was determined to take the prize and kept her daughters’ future in mind throughout the run. She added that the prize money would help in buying books for her daughter.
Her younger daughter, Pooja, also took part and finished second, saying she joined to encourage her mother. After seeing Pooja’s dedication, the coaching centre director announced that the cost of her training would be borne by the centre.
