Record breaking Thamke tutored for track

While Thamke has some way to go before fulfiling her coach’s prophesy,she is certainly making the right moves. At the National Inter-Zonal Junior National Athletic meet at the Balewadi sports complex on Saturday,Thamke won gold in both the 400m and the 1000m,running both races with just a 25 minute break in between. If that was not enough,Thamke also set a meet record in the 400m event,breaking a 15-year-old mark.

Thamke started competitive running just last year. But her daily 12 km round trips to and from school had prepared her well. “It was a routine for girls and boys to run over several kilometres to school,” the runner says. “I once went for an inter-school competition in Nashik and that’s where Singh sir noticed me and asked me to come and train with him.”

Thamke began training with Singh at his coaching center in the city and it was no easy task. She had to wake up at 4 am and head to Nashik for a two-hour training session and after that had to catch a bus back to her school 35km away. And then come back again in the evening for another couple of hours of training. Thamke persisted with the routine and in her first national level appearance at the 2011 School Nationals in Ludhiana,bagged gold in the 1500m and the 400m. In the Junior Nationals in Ranchi,she set a national record in the 600m.

Coach Singh says,”We are training with a focus on the middle-distance events and for the national games,scheduled later this year.” Thamke though is just enjoying her time on the track. “Running on a track is definitely easier than over hills and dodging cattle along the way. I just enjoy the feeling of putting on my golden spikes and running.”