A still from the previous edition of the race. | Photo Credit: NEERAJ DEV VARMA The earliest known set of obstacle course races (OCR) were created by armies to test the endurance of soldiers in hostile battlegrounds. To run with steady feet, climb with strength, and lunge forth with brute force, were essential in the survival and protection of their people. Centuries later, the modern iteration of this race invites participants who wish to challenge their strength, without the pressure of an impending life-or-death combat. “If I wereto ask you, who the strongest athlete out there is, you would tell…

Na Murali at his gym, Fitzone in Chennai | Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B Na Murali’s tryst with fitness began during his teenage years, when he got fascinated with judo, a Japanese martial art. His coach would teach him the basics , but that seemed insufficient for him. As a restless and enthusiastic 17 year old, he was desperate to get access to a gym, which he could not afford to back then. It was then that a friend requested him to take charge of his gym in the evening , and he grabbed the opportunity. “Though I was not…

Tarakesh Kolli performing at a dapostar workshop in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Visakhapatnam will experience a new wave of creative expression with the city’s first dapostar workshop. Scheduled to take place this weekend at the VUDA Park, the event will introduce participants to dapostar, a type of flow art — a vibrant fusion of movement and object manipulation that has captivated audiences worldwide. Organised by Local Hungama, this workshop is designed to bring together beginners, enthusiasts, and experienced practitioners for an immersive experience in dapostar, that combines spinning, dance, and martial arts. The event will be led by…

The tide is high. Lean waves lap against the curved shoreline of Kovalam. P Harish, all of seven, has caught sight of a promising wave. He chases after it, and in a quick swerve, tames the to-be giant. His surfboard is easily twice his size.   Watch: Meet Tamil Nadu’s next generation of champion surfers | Video Credit: Thamodaran B. Not too far away, in an endearing show of fine sportsmanship, Saanvi Hegde takes her opponent Kamali Moorthy on a piggyback ride to the shore. The latter has injured her ankle. The little surfers — giants when it comes to balancing…

Participants ahead of the Sari Marathon on Sunday | Photo Credit: AKHILA EASWARAN Weekends  are never dull or quiet near Olcott Memorial Higher Secondary School, a stretch that sees marathons, walks and rallies in quick succession. When we head there early on Sunday, one side of the road has been taken over by a large group of students in matching white tees. On the other, a large group of women wait for a checkered flag to announce the start of their marathon. Every woman there was in a saree – in different weaves and colours, and draped in different styles. …

Reshma Valliappan, 40, hopes to create the world’s largest art piece that spreads out across the 180 yards x 150 yards of the world’s largest cricket stadium, the Motera Stadium in Gujarat. Called the Shared Consciousness Project, she describes it as “a search for human connection through art”. Reshma, who has battled several medical problems, including Reye’s syndrome at a year and a half, being diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22, and with scar epilepsy caused by a meningioma (a tumour) in 2011. “In 2011, it was operated upon, but then it came back in September 2019,” she says, adding that…

Contrary to the message drilled into us in 2020, I touch my face. I am trying to count exactly how many dry patches I have and whether or not they are larger than coins — questions I had never given thought to, before trying out SkinKraft’s questionnaire. This is a skin analysis, based on which the Telangana-based company curates customised skincare products. The personalised beauty industry is finding a market in India with homegrown brands such as SkinKraft, Bare Anatomy, Freewill, Vedix and Forest Essentials dipping into the waters. The way these bespoke skincare and haircare brands operate is more…

A couple of days ago I watched a young boy, perhaps no more than five years of age, break a biscuit he was holding in his hand and pass half of it to his possibly, younger sister, who I imagined, must have been around three years old. The girl looked at her brother and beamed, while the brother acknowledged and reciprocated with an equally endearing look. Watching this from near, I felt extremely joyful and realised that when I have been able to share, whatever it be, material or otherwise, I have always felt satisfied. Sharing seems so joyful. A…

Kalaripayattu is an ancient martial art that originated in peninsular India as a part of military training for warriors. Kalaripayattu is derived from the words ‘Kalari,’ which means “a place, threshing floor, or battlefield,” and ‘Payattu,’ which means to “exercise in arms or practice.” It is today used for everything from self-defence and becoming self-aware and alert, to a way of losing weight and flexibility training. The martial art form is seeing a resurgence through Zoom classes, while its Instagram-worthy visuals and fitness aspects will only grow its popularity. Read more here: Kalari, the new yoga?

A gamer holding a controller The lockdown and the launches of gaming smartphones and the new Xbox and PlayStation consoles saw a groundswell of new and/or returning gamers. The immersive past-time became an outlet for many in a time of loneliness and distancing but it also brought an unhealthy product of its own: simulation or simulator sickness, a type of ‘cybersickness’. Often coming in around 30 minutes into focussed game-play, the symptoms are similar to that of motion sickness: fatigue, uneasiness, dizziness, headaches and, if it gets worse, vomiting and subsequent weakness. The irony here is that unlike motion sickness,…