New Delhi: Ultra-distance runner Sufiya Sufi, in association with the Indian Army, flagged off a Tribute run to pay homage to the Kargil War Bravehearts in run up to the 23rd Kargil Vijay Diwas.
The 470 Kilometers long run was flagged-off on Sunday from Siachen War Memorial (Base Camp). It will culminate on July 23 at the Kargil War Memorial, Dras.
Calling it 'The Tribute Run', Sufiya is dedicating this challenge to the Bravehearts of the Indian Army who have made supreme sacrifices for the nation. The 7-day-long expedition began at Siachen War Memorial on Sunday and is set to conclude at Kargil War Memorial, on July 23, ahead of the 23rd Kargil Vijay Diwas.
ALSO READ | Commonwealth Games 2022: Quadrennial Event To Kick Off On July 28 — Know Events & Venues
Sufiya, accompanied by her support team, will tackle the tough terrain including some of the highest passes in the world amid the hostile climatic conditions of Ladakh.
The run, which began at an altitude of 3400m, will be reaching up to 5359m at Khardung La with oxygen levels dropping 40 to 60 percent and temperature dipping much below zero degrees.
Speaking about it, the Under Armour athlete said, "Ever since I have taken up the discipline, I have worked continuously towards pushing my limits and encouraging more people to take up running.
"My upcoming run is special and close to my heart and through this run, I want to pay tribute to the deeds of our soldiers and their selfless service to our nation," she added, as quoted by news agency IANS.
"I have a great team, be it my coaches or Under Armour, who have supported and motivated me to take up every challenge including this expedition. I have put in the work training continuously for the past 6 months," she further said.
Sufiya is a world record-holding professional ultra-marathon and long-distance runner from Rajasthan's Ajmer district.
In 2018, she took up running to break away from her aviation job, to relax and de-stress. Since then, she has entered the Guinness Book of Records thrice and has set several benchmarks for ultrarunning in India.
She holds the records for covering the Manali-Leh stretch on foot in the year 2022, the fastest time by a female to complete the Golden Quadrilateral in 2021, and the fastest woman to traverse from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 2019. Sufiya has been an Under Armour Athlete since her first big achievement in 2020.
(With IANS Inputs)