Canadian-born Dr Vidya Ranga, a fitness influencer and Paediatrician at Vatsalya Nursing Home, Mysore is an avid mountaineer. She has scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, at the Uhuru Peak in Tanzania and successfully stepped on to base camp of Mt. Everest too. Then there are two gritty ladies from India in their quest for the ‘Antarctic’ dream – Tanvi Buch, a 24-year-old Mumbai-based architect and photographer and Kolkata-based Madhabilata Mitra, an accomplished model and certified instructor from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI, Darjeeling). Corporate Citizen shares the fitness stories of these mettlesome women, the preparedness and motivation
Vidya Ranga
“Fitness is a way of life, involving serious dedication and time management. When you can habitually make attempts to stay fit, fitness transforms to be a regular aspect of your life. To allow lethargy overrule your life, is alarming in today’s age. Fitness should be a regular thing,” said Vidya Ranga, fitness influencer and Paediatrician, Vatsalya Nursing Home, Mysore. She is better half of Arjun Ranga, MD, Cycle Pure Agarbathies.
Vidya Ranga initially started her fitness journey in the first year of medical college. “At the time, the main idea was to work on myself, and try to look better, but that evolved into a whole different experience all together. My husband had visited interesting places and spoke a lot about these places. I realized that no women in Mysore had done this (adventure sports). We started small as I gathered a few of my friends, and we began training. We began, running up the steps at Chamundi Hill in Mysore, or went to the gym, running and cycling every other day”.
Starting with her first trek at Mt. Kota Kinabalu, in Borneo Malaysia, she realized that she not only enjoyed the climb but took a liking to the outdoors too. “I realized how unpredictable nature is and nothing can beat the view of the sunrise from a mountain top. That’s when I realized I was comfortable with high altitudes and that’s when I signed up for the Mt. Everest Base Camp expedition with a bunch of friends.”
On her mountaineering health mantra, Vidya said, “You need to have a strong endurance. Besides, a high level of fitness, you also need to have a lot of confidence in yourself. You also should be comfortable at high altitudes and have the ability and preparedness to face the worst that could happen.”
She reiterates that instead of prepping for a certain expedition, maintaining a regular fitness regime is advisable. This must be done by managing one’s time, between work and social engagements. “You tend to neglect your own health when travelling for work, and so when you inculcate a regular fitness regimen, it becomes a lifestyle. And one can even mix it up, be it through running or cycling”, she said. “What I have observed, is that goals keep you motivated and don’t let you get stagnated. Which is why I have made sure to sign up for another (marathon) immediately just to keep me motivated.”
She has juggled both trekking expeditions and her cycling interests. “I also, cycled from Manali to Khar-dung La Pass, which was an incredible experience, and it made me decide that cycling should also be an integral part of my fitness regimen. So, I am part of a brevet now, which would entail that I need to cover a certain distance in a certain time, and all the medals come in from Paris because it is part of a randonnée club.”
“I’m planning to do the Bengaluru full marathon soon, commemorating my 42th birthday, I thought I could run the 42 km marathon. However, next year I have my eye on a few interesting cycling expeditions that I want to be a part of. There is one across the Spiti Valley, and I am also keen on maybe the one in Northeast through Sikkim.
Tanvi BuchWhat connects Janice (Jan) Meek – a Guinness World Record holding polar adventurer, ocean rower and international motivational speaker to Tanvi Buch and Madhabilata Mitra? Come December, both Tanvi and Madhabilata will be India’s first ever ‘Polar Maidens’ as they join a six-member all women international team in exploring the South Pole. The December mission starts with a flight from South America, reaching Antarctica, thereon travelling to a special camp called the ‘Union Glacier’, from where the team would head to the ‘magnetic’ pole.
“Just what Jan Meek says don’t ask “why?” ask “why not”. Make sure your time on this planet is worth the while,” said Tanvi Buch, Mumbai based architect and photographer, as she quoted her 74-year-old British Team Lead, Janice Meek.
As for 36-year-old Madhabilata Mitra, “As a mountaineer, I am addicted to any extreme event,” she said. “Mountaineering helps me to develop my interest in extreme sport. Besides, the basic training structure of mountaineering and expedition are almost the same. I just need to prepare myself for the extreme climatic condition. The schedule that I am following here at Skulpt is enough to condition myself for the Scotland training”, she said.
It was providence that connected both Tanvi and Madhabilata to Rajiv Dalal, Head Coordinator of the ‘Polar Maiden’ project. Madhabilata went through an online interview with the expedition team leader. Following which she then submitted all proofs of her mountaineering and other outdoor experiences and as she said, “All proofs and obviously my madness for extreme sports!”
Tanvi said that she was looking for a work-term as an intern (as part of her degree studying Natural Resources Conservation at the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.); when her parents happened to meet Rajiv Dalal at a school reunion. Later, she was introduced to Janice Meek and the rest just fell into place.
Madhabilata Mitra
(Left to Right) 3 of a kind - Tanvi, Janice Meek and MadhabilataOn preparing for her Antarctic mission, Tanvi said that, “We are focusing on core strength and overall strength and stamina. I have good stamina but, must focus on building strength and endurance. Exercises such as pulling a tyre (as a dummy for the sledge) while walking for a long time; upper body, core and lower body training, jump rope, some yoga for mental and physical resilience etc. are what I try to incorporate as much as I can through the week. While eating well will also be a key aspect; there isn’t a prescribed diet, yet.”
“In the seven-day Scotland training, we will be focusing on physical endurance, mental fitness, and teamwork and goal setting. We will prepare ourselves for the surface by trekking, walking uphill and training for physical endurance. We will also be focusing a lot on yoga for an overall sound fitness and recovery,” Tanvi said.
“Do the little things to help yourself every day— make the right decisions, try to avoid ordering out, learn the basics of cooking, because it makes you incredibly independent, and it’ll take you places. I think keep yourself active, because of long working hours can take a toll on you. Dedicate quality time every day for yourself and your health.” said Vidya.
“I get up very early and hardly watch any TV. I am in bed by 10 pm. My typical day starts at 4:45 am—I’m done with my workout by 7 am. And If I want to run more and cycle more, I just wake up earlier. So that way I’m at work and available during the same hours every day. And if I wish to work out more, I simply get up earlier.”
By Sangeeta Ghosh Dastidar
