Edutainment
Jaipur Juniorun: Curtain Raiser at Fortune Metropolitan Jaipur
Gurgaon Road Runner (GRR) comes with the most precious gift for kids, their health. The event was flagged off today at a prime
location of Jaipur as several sports enthusiasts joined hands to inspire parents and children to participate in active sports.
We all agree with the premise that a fit kid develops into a healthy adult. And Gurgaon Road Runners (GRR), a laudable initiative by Siddarth Choudhary is in Jaipur this Sunday with the most precious gift for children—their health!
Dubbed Juniorun, it is a multi-city running event exclusively designed for kids with the primary aim to raise awareness and promote a healthy childhood, and eventually a healthy adulthood. It is just not a run but an attempt to bring lifestyle changes into the routine of today’s technology-obsessed children.
And as a run-up to the city’s first junior marathon on 24 April 2016, GRR organized a curtain raiser on Thursday, 21 April, at Fortune Select Metropolitan, where eminent personalities, were invited to a panel to discuss the current trends in kids’ lifestyle and the urgent need to break away the malpractices of our sedentary lives. Siddarth Choudhary, the man behind GRR, was himself present at the event along with Dr Tushar Dashora, a renowned paediatrician, Nirmala Rawat, president of the Women Vaishya Samaaj, Urvashi Warman, principal, The Palace School, Jaipur, Kamaljeet Yadav, principal Subodh Public School Airport, Jaipur, among many others.
To flag off the marathon, a panel of experts including Dashora, Rawat, Nisha Jain (founder director, Vatsalya Legacy), Parul Vijayvargiya (a parent of two and a marathon winner), Sunil Singodia (Shri Krishna Group), Rachana Kaushik (founder of Jaipur Moms community) had an interactive and informed session with the guests and media.
Making a point Choudhary said, “It isn’t just running that I endorse but any and every physical activities for children—running can be one, swimming, walking, sports, or any other physical activity that a child likes to indulge in. We just need to ensure that our children start relating to activities more than mobile games, TV, etc.” Dashora couldn’t agree more, pointing out that children from even well-to-do families in India are malnourished, which means not that they are underfed, rather that they are fed wrongly becoming obese when coupled with a lack of proper diet and exercises.
The truly motivating story came from Rawat, who, in her 70s now, said that she still felt 20-something, not because she was slim still, but because her mind felt young and agile, which she attributed to her extremely active physical life. “I can climb mountains, jog, pump the treadmill in the gym, as many adventurous activities as well as any youngster can and thus can proudly stand next to the younger generation, which, is aging way faster,” she said to loud appreciation from the audience. The reason for the difference? Rawat cited lack of proper diet, exercise, thanks to the ‘fast-food’ culture.
Concurring with the panel members was Kamaljeet Yadav, who said, “Happiness comes from within. We can give happiness only if we have it coming from the inside, which isn’t possible if the body and mind are not happy.”
Nisha Jain also added that the roots of the younger generation’s laziness lay in the parents to which every member of the panel agreed pointing out parents lead by example.
The session ended on a positive and energetic note with several parents present understanding that it wasn’t just academics that their children needed to excel in, they needed to follow an active and healthy lifestyle to be all-rounders and happy people, because EI (emotional intelligence) is strongly linked to a fit body.