Woman Of Metal

Ravija Singal, the youngest Asian woman to bag the Ironman Australia title, talks to Arya Chatterjee about her training, goals, and how letting go of negativity is the key to success

- Arya Chatterjee

In December 2018, Ravija Singal, a 19-year-old resident of Nashik, became the youngest Asian woman to win the Ironman title in Busselton, Australia. The Australian Ironman is an annual triathlon covering a distance of 3.86 km in swimming, 180.2 km in cycling, and a full marathon of 42 km running along the Australian East Coast. Anyone can sign up for it on ap.ironman.com. The BA psychology student from HPT College in Nashik, won the title in her second attempt. She is extraordinarily talented, and showed sheer perseverance and determination to win. Over to the young sportsperson.

How do you feel being the youngest Asian woman to win the title?

Extremely blessed! And the fact that everyone wants to know my story is amazing. I believe that it’s more about the entire process rather than only about what happened on the day of the race. Growing up, I always looked up to my dad (police commissioner Ravinderkumar Singal, French Ironman 2019 title holder) and being on the same podium as him makes me feel immensely grateful.

At what age did you start participating in competitive sports?