Get Set Go: Running Toward a New Beginning

A story of heart-break, resilience and finding the purpose

Jan 10, 2025

If you have already forgotten about your New Year resolutions, congratulations, you are not alone!

Studies suggest 23% of people quit their new resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% stop working on them by the end of January. Only 9% feel successful about keeping the resolutions by the end of December. It is hard to believe that 91% of people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

Which category do you want to be in?

But remember, after January 10, when the euphoria of the New Year will have died down, we will find ourselves doing the same things, thinking the same way, doing the same work, and probably questioning the monotony of life. [from last week’s post]

Don’t let everyday skirmishes forget the battles and war you have vowed to fight and win this year.

A break-up is a devastating experience. More so, when your loved ones warn you of the consequences. It leaves you heart-broken but more than the heart, it is your self-esteem that gets a jolt. How can someone leave you for another person? You question.

Break-ups are hard. You feel helpless.

It is the story of almost every young man and woman worldwide. Roshni, a young girl from a small town in India has a similar tale.

When a man Roshni loved deeply decided to marry someone else, she was shattered. She could not eat or sleep. Her life came to a nought. She could have fallen into the chasm of sorrow and depression but she picked up the shattered pieces of her broken heart and embraced life.

She focussed on her studies. She came to Mumbai. And one day, when she walked past a huge billboard that read ‘Feel the Spirit of Mumbai. Run the Mumbai Marathon,’ she was reminded of her morning runs in her home town. She decided to register for the half marathon.

She was shocked when she noticed a half-marathon meant 21 kms (~13 miles). Her idea of a half-marathon was 5-6 kms. The actual run was about 4X of what she had thought.

She could have given up but she chose not to. She practised and soon she saw herself among thousands of participants who had gathered for the marathon. She ran and ran hard until at 16 kms, her knee gave in and she felt acute pain. She hobbled, limped, and walked thinking, she wouldn’t be able to make it across the finish line.

But something else was in store for her.

When she thought it was all over, a friend who was running past her, cheered her up, motivated and helped her cross the finish line.

That one decision to do something different, to try something that she had not done before changed the trajectory of her life. After her first experience, she trained to complete a half marathon, next came the full marathon and then the ultra-distances of 50+ kms (31 miles). Running gave her a purpose. Today, Roshni through her foundation ‘Run with Roshni’ supports runners for marathons across the country.

Roshini’s is a story of breaking the shackles. It is also the story of finding a purpose, a higher goal that goes beyond earning the daily bread.

Just like most New Year’s resolutions, Roshni's life felt stuck in a cycle of false starts and unfulfilled promises after her heartbreak. But one small decision—to register for a marathon—became her turning point. It wasn’t just about running; it was about reclaiming her life, step by step. Much like how sticking to a resolution can create profound change.