Bengaluru: At 77, retired army officer Lt Col OPN Kalyan continues to push the limits of age and endurance. The city-based veteran completed a 10km run at the XXXVI Siberian International Marathon in Omsk, Russia, on Aug 1, and took to the skies in a tandem skydive from 3,000 metres the following day.Kalyan, who reached Omsk on July 31, was among around 6,200 participants in the marathon and one of just four foreign runners (the others being two runners from Kenya and one from Ethiopia).For Kalyan, the run fulfilled a long-standing ambition. “It was a proud and emotional moment for me to participate in this and represent India. It had been my lifetime dream to run in Siberia, and finally at age 77, I was able to accomplish it,” he said.On Aug 2, Kalyan undertook a tandem skydive at the Omsk Aviation Sports Club of DOSAAF. Jumping from around 3,000 metres, he experienced nearly 40 seconds of freefall at close to 200kmph before the parachute opened at about 1,700 metres. He landed safely. “It was a wonderful and thrilling jump over Siberia. The freefall was an unforgettable experience,” he said.Born in Madras on July 12, 1949, Kalyan comes from a distinguished military family. His father, Major OPV Chari, was among the army’s early paratroopers, while his brother, Lt Col OP Rajagopalan, served with the 6/11 Gorkha Rifles. Kalyan studied at King George’s School in Bengaluru (now Rashtriya Military School) and was commissioned into the Army Service Corps on June 15, 1969, from OTS Madras.He served in the army for nearly 38 years, including four years of re-employment. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he commanded 310 Petroleum Platoon, ASC, and later served as a paratrooper. He received 12 medals and several Commendation Cards. In 2022, Bangladesh invited him, along with 34 other Indian officers, for its 51st Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka.Retirement did little to slow his sporting pursuits. Kalyan represented India at the Masters Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, winning two gold, two silver and two bronze medals. As manager of the Services Taekwondo team in 2006, he led it to victory at the National Taekwondo Championship in Chennai. Between 2006 and 2012, he represented Karnataka at the National Masters Aquatic Championships, winning 10 medals in diving events.His adventure pursuits have included expeditions to Antarctica in Feb 2024 and the Arctic in Aug 2025, when he travelled across 22 uninhabited islands and undertook polar plunges in waters at around -3°C. In Aug 2025, he completed a 7,000ft skydive at Tønsberg Skydiving Club in Norway and later participated in the Tawang Marathon on Oct 24, 2025.Kalyan also voluntarily served as curator of the Army Service Corps Museum in Bengaluru from 2008 to 2023, helping preserve the corps’ history and heritage. “I believe that age should never become an excuse to stop living with purpose, enthusiasm and courage. One should continue to set goals, accept challenges and pursue one’s dreams,” he said.
