Bhubaneswar: For generations, Odisha has produced artists, scholars, entrepreneurs and sportspersons who have carried the state’s identity across the world.Now, another story joins the growing narrative but from the toughest endurance events on earth. With two half ironman finishes and a full ironman to her name, Uma Hazra (40) has shown that resilience, too, can become part of Odisha’s global identity. She completed full Ironman at Jacksonville, Florida, in 16 hours and 53 minutes becoming the first Odia woman to do so.For the uninitiated, the endurance event represents completion of a 3.86 km swim, 180.25 km bike ride and 42.2 km full marathon. Earlier, she completed Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, Ironman 70.3 Wilmington, North Carolina and the Chicago marathon.Like many extraordinary journeys, Uma’s did not begin with ambitions but with a single decision to become fitter. “I didn’t grow up in a sports‑focused family — academics were always the priority. When I moved to the US, I was overweight and wanted to improve my health, so I started with simple walks that gradually turned into running. I completed 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and eventually full marathons,” said Uma, a senior SIU intelligence analyst living in Saint Johns, Florida, since 2013.In Florida, Uma felt it was important to learn swimming. That’s when she discovered triathlons — an extreme endurance sport combining swimming, cycling, and running with no breaks. “As someone who loves pushing boundaries, the challenge immediately fascinated me. I decided to take up a triathlon to represent the Odia community in the world of endurance sports,” said Uma.Balancing endurance sports with a demanding analytics career required discipline and planning. Uma trained early in the mornings before work, used lunch breaks for short runs, and reserved weekends for long sessions. “I broke my goal into smaller milestones and tracking progress. Endurance training improved my focus, resilience, and ability to stay calm under pressure,” said Uma.For diet, she followed a simple, sustainable approach: high‑protein meals, balanced carbohydrates for training days, hydration planning, and avoiding processed foods. “The night before my Ironman race I had ‘dahi pakhala’ with ‘baigana poda’ and ‘badi chhura’ — the best meal for easy carbs,” she said.Her husband and nine-year-old son were her biggest supporters. Her husband stepped into every role she couldn’t fill while chasing the dream. “Mothers run the house, juggle errands, manage the chaos… but he took all of that without making me feel guilty for the long hours I was away,” she said.Going forward, Uma wants to create more awareness about health and fitness, especially among Odia women and children. “When we build healthy habits early, they become second nature as we grow. Many Odia women prioritise their family’s well-being and often neglect their own, but today mental and physical health are just as important. The more they invest in their health now, the happier and stronger they will be as they age,” she said.
