Against all odds: A childhood in rural Amravati, mother’s suicide, medicine study discontinued did not deter Anjali Hazari from living the life of her dreams in Hong Kong

Over the phone from Hong Kong, where she has been living for 40 years, Hazari talks fast. She says that she also walks fast. “It has always been important to me to live a productive and purpose driven life. Time is life. Often I think people don’t make the connection between time and life. I see people living their lives as if it were a dress rehearsal to the final act. In fact, as I am getting older, I am very aware of the limited time I have,” she says.

Anjali Hazari at Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. (File photo)

In June 2024, a Lancet study involving 197 countries and a time frame of 2000-2022 revealed a high percentage of physical inactivity among Indian adults with a striking gender gap—52.6 per cent women as opposed to 38.4 per cent men. Hazari says that, in Pune at least, where she has a home too, she notices hopeful signs of change.

“There seems to be an increased awareness in older women of the need to exercise. I see that each time I visit Pune every couple of months. But the affluent lifestyle in India seems to preclude mobility. We clearly don’t like to walk. I find it hugely strange that Indians spend so much money on fancy cars, clothes and shoes, i.e. the exterior. They seem to invest little on the quality of the body itself that they cover with expensive sarees and jewellery,” says Hazari.

She has also noticed that exercise for older women in India involves walking in parks or race tracks or gyms. “But as one gets older, there is a need to also incorporate weights to maintain bone density and muscle mass and yoga/Tai chi/Pilates to maintain joint mobility and flexibility. Fighting the rigidity that sets in body and mind, as one ages, is a constant challenge. It is something that older Indian women seem hesitant to face,” she says.

Locus of control

Growing up, Hazari had received little support or opportunity to develop her innate abilities. She enjoyed all things biology, playing table tennis and writing. “After completing Inter science at Elphinstone College, I joined Grant Medical College Mumbai in 1974. Those years were easily the worst period of my life. I failed physiology practicals. During this time, my mother died by suicide. The frustration I experienced was criticised and used as a justification to denigrate my intellectual ability and my medical school fees were not paid,” she says. A change in the education system made it near impossible for her to gain admission even into BSc. “I didn’t have a chip on my shoulder, I had a huge block off my shoulder,” she says.

Her locus of control for getting her life back was initially external, to prove that she deserved better. Interestingly, the tagline of four brands provided her a philosophical strength. These were – “What can be imagined can be achieved”, “The quality of life is your choice”, “Life is not a spectator sport” and “Just do it “.

Hazari stopped feeling sorry for herself and educated herself. She became a biology teacher in international schools in Hong Kong and has had a very rewarding career. She has been a recipient of the Stanford University Teaching Excellence Award and a nominee of the highest award the Hong Kong government confers, The Chief Executive Award for Teaching Excellence.

Anjali Hazari with her husband Captain Ajay

She has a column in The South China Morning Post and writes extensively on education policies and practices. “Somewhere, along the line, my locus of control shifted inward. We owe it to ourselves to use every opportunity that comes our way to bring our innate abilities to fruition. I gave myself opportunities to study, write and exercise. I don’t think I have ever been as happy and content as I am today,” she says.

Early start

Hazari played table tennis for her school, university and state when she was in college. “Early in my childhood, I lived with my grandparents. They were farmers who lived in Amravati. Drawing water from the well, making rangoli and chanting prayers were all done before I left for school,” she says.

She started running after she got married. “My husband was then a captain on a merchant ship. Often, the shipping terminals were remote from urban areas. I would run into the city centre and back because taxi fares were steep,” she says. Moving to Hong Kong gave her the impetus to continue running regularly, inspired not only by the parks and other public spaces but also the Chinese work ethic, discipline and an active lifestyle.

Her childhood years were formative as Hazari, after she became a mother, was able to work out in the morning before she woke up her children. Running became her metaphor for life and living. “For me, the only bad workout is the one that does not get done,” she says.

Mum’s the word

Like many working mothers, Hazari always had a long list of things to be done. So, as a runner, she began to ignore the critical warm-ups and strengthening exercise. The result was a lot of injuries including meniscal tears.

“I have needed two arthroscopies on my right knee and one on my left. The treatment in the 1980s, 90s and early 2000 was to trim the meniscus instead of repairing it as is the norm today. Hence, I now have osteoarthritis on both knees, which brought my running career to an end after I gave myself a birthday present of clocking 60 races by my 60th birthday,” she says.

This is how Hazari started trekking in the hills of Hong Kong. She has climbed the Maclehose trail, which is a 100 km trail in Hong Kong, Kang Yatze II in Ladakh, and the Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, among others. “I am convinced that Gibran wrote this for me: “And forget not that the earth delights to feel our bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair,” she says. Hazari has trekked all over Hong Kong and scaled several peaks.

Exercising is a way of life for her family including her son and daughter. “It has not only bestowed us with good health and allowed us to be more disciplined but also improved our time management skills,” she says.

Hazari is now writing a book and plans on scaling many of the seven summits. “My mountaineering journey has just begun. I’m hugely excited about where all it will take me. I am climbing Mt Aconcagua in January 2025. I hope to climb Mt Elbrus, the highest summit in Europe, as well. If my knees permit, I will, like The Sound of Music, Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” she smiles.