Blood, sweat and grit: Pune athlete overcomes setbacks and disability to conquer Ironman – twice

His colleague at work, Arham Shaikh, has experience in training two visually-impaired athletes. “There is a different learning for all of us in how these athletes with disabilities are able to push human limits and break stereotypes,” Arham Shaikh said.

ashutosh soman, pune athlete, indian express

The 32-year-old Pune man, Ashutosh Soman had stepped up his training, from three-four hours a day to five-six hours, ahead of the event that was to be held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn that year. (Express Photo)

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Ashutosh Soman was primed and ready for action, all set to make his mark on the 2020 edition of the Ironman competition by becoming the first 100 percent hearing-impaired athlete from India to finish the gruelling competition.

The 32-year-old Pune man had stepped up his training, from three-four hours a day to five-six hours, ahead of the event that was to be held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn that year.

Then, the pandemic hit. The competition, which would have been Ashutosh’s first Ironman, got deferred to August 2022.

Despite the restrictions brought in due to the pandemic, Ashutosh managed to keep up his training momentum, but just a month before the rescheduled event was to take place, he suffered a head injury in an accident.

It left Ashutosh unconscious for eight minutes. He spent 48 hours in an ICU, and was discharged three days later with 16 stitches on his head. Fortunately, he had not suffered any fractures or brain injury.

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It was clear to him that he would not let this incident get in the way of his Ironman dreams this time. The sutures on his head were removed on July 30, 2022, a day before he left for Tallinn to take part in the competition.

On August 6, he finished the Ironman in a creditable 13 hours, 19 minutes and 24 seconds – the cutoff for the finish is around 17 hours. The feat got him a mention in the India Book of Records, which cited him for completing the event despite his 100 percent hearing impairment.

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The full Ironman competition comprises a 3.9-km swim, a 180-km bicycle ride and a 42-km full marathon, completed in that order.

In August this year, Ashutosh finished his second Ironman – held in Kalmar, Sweden – with an improved timing of 12 hours, 50 minutes and 31 seconds. His was the third-best time among all Indian participants in the event.

“The course was comfortable, but the dense fog on the swim leg and winds of 25-30 kmph on the bicycle ride posed a challenge. The spectators were simply wonderful, and it seemed as if the whole town of Kalmar was out there to cheer on the participants,” Ashutosh’s father Ajay said.

Born in Bikaner in 1988, Ashutosh became hearing impaired at the age of one, which led to him becoming speech-impaired as well. He spent a part of his childhood in Pune, where he studied until class 5. Then, he moved to New Delhi, where his father, a group captain with the Indian Air Force, had been posted.

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After completing a course in architecture, Ashutosh moved back to Pune and worked as an architect with three firms before deciding to leave his job amid issues with communication. He then began helping his father, who had retired by then, on their farm. Ashutosh got married in 2016 and has a daughter who goes to junior kindergarten.

From 2019, he started training with Kaustubh Radkar, a 36-time Ironman.

“Ashutosh is very committed to his training schedule and managed to finish his workouts regularly despite hurdles of health, family and this year, a new job. Although I have learnt to communicate with him using visual cues, the use of Whatsapp has made it easier for me to understand what he is saying and to communicate what I need him to do in a particular workout,” Radkar said.

Ashutosh is now looking for sponsors to cover the significant costs involved in competing in events like Ironman. “A good quality carbon bicycle itself costs anywhere between Rs 4-8 lakh. And taking part in the event sets you back by at least Rs 8-10 lakh,” he said.

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In March this year, he started working at sporting goods retailer, Decathlon, as an ‘omni sport leader (cycling and running)’. According to his father, Ashutosh finds solace in the job, and it gives him time to practise.

His colleague at work, Arham Shaikh, has experience in training two visually-impaired athletes. “There is a different learning for all of us in how these athletes with disabilities are able to push human limits and break stereotypes,” Shaikh said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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