An Indian Police Service Officer (IPS) from Goa has combated cancer and beat the odds against him to complete the challenging Ironman triathlon race.
Nidhin Valsan, who is currently posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Crime Branch, manages the sensitive land-grabbing cases in Goa. Though he did not win the triathlon, he stole the hearts of the spectators with his exemplary display of resilience and willpower.
“I thought if I am able to do this, I will be able to show the world what one can achieve and hopefully show to everyone that cancer is not an impossible disease to fight,” IPS Valsan was quoted by NDTV as saying.
According to Valsan, he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier, but he did not give up and persisted in his fight against the deadly disease. In February this year, he was declared “all-clear”.
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is a type of cancer that typically develops in the lymphatic system, part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system. In the disease, white blood cells named lymphocytes develop abnormally and can form growths (tumours) throughout the body.
IPS Valsan participated in the Ironman 70.3 race in the state capital, Panaji, on Sunday with 1450 other participants. The triathlon is divided into three segments: 1.9 kilometres of open sea swimming, 90 kilometres of cycling, and 21 kilometres of running. Valsan completed the race in 8 hours, 3 minutes, and 53 seconds, which is within the stipulated time.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay won the race with an impressive time of 4 hours, 29 minutes and 45 seconds. On the other hand, the defending champion of the Indian Army, Bisworjit Saikhom, stood second, as per the results declared by the organisers.
