Saiyami Kher:I had to fight a lot of battles to train for Ironman triathlon

Sports enthusiast and former cricketer, actress Saiyami Kher will participate in Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, in Berlin on September 15. This makes her the only Bollywood actor, after Milind Soman (who completed the Ironman triathlon), to take on this challenge. For those curious, the 70.3 refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run.

With just a few weeks to go, Saiyami, who is shooting with Sunny Deol in Hyderabad for an upcoming film, is also training for the triathlon on the side. She spoke to us about training for it and the challenges she has faced.

‘Being a part of ironman has been on my bucket list for a long time’
Participating in Ironman has always been on Saiyami’s wish list. She shared, “I always wanted to compete in the Ironman. It has been on my bucket list for the longest time. It’s never easy to prepare for such a gruelling race. I was going to do it in 2020, but COVID happened, and the race got deferred. Endurance sports help clear my mind. For me, they are a form of therapy. It’s challenging physically, but more so mentally. You are with yourself. You are not allowed to listen to music, so it’s you vs you. It’s you against all your fears, anxiety and thoughts. Sports help me understand myself better.”

‘My training for the triathlon started from absolute zero’
While Saiyami has always been active and fit, a past incident turned things around. She recalls, “I had a cycle accident last year on June 2 in Italy. I had stitches on my face and legs; it was pretty bad. Something snapped, and for seven to eight months after that, I just couldn’t get myself to do any form of exercise. In February this year, I decided this had to stop and signed up for the Ironman. Now when I look back, it was silly of me to jump into a race this intense directly from my couch. My training started from absolute zero. Ironman athlete Kaustubh Radkar from Pune has been coaching me. He laid out the plan which I am trying to follow. It’s been six months since I started my training. The road conditions in Mumbai are not conducive for training like this, and the motivation doesn’t come easy when you are also working, but I am pushing myself. One has to fight a lot of battles, internal and external, to train for the Ironman.”

‘Cycling has been the most challenging’
While the race comprises cycling, running and swimming, Saiyami lists cycling as the toughest of the three. “For me, cycling has been the most challenging among the three because I have never really done it. I used to swim as a child. I have also been running for a while. Cycling is new to me and is pretty technical. It’s a challenge to cycle in the city. If you have to cycle 100 km in the city, where do you go?”

Milind Soman’s expert tip
Milind Soman is the only other Bollywood actor to have completed the Ironman Triathlon. (He was 50 at the time). Saiyami shares, “It’s incredible how fit he is. I shot with him a few days ago and I was obviously taking tips from him. He is truly inspirational. His tip to me was not to overthink and that it’s not such a big deal. I hope I keep that in mind.”