By the age of 20, Sangeeta Sindhi Bahl, then Sangeeta Sindhi, was a Miss India finalist, had a number of modeling assignments under her belt and had also dabbled in the aviation industry that she remained a part of for nearly two-and-a-half decades.   

At 53, she set her sights on climbing Mount Everest and became the oldest Indian woman to do so. Her first tryst with mountains came when she was nearly 47 and in just four years, she set up her own mountaineering company in 2015. 

Now at 57, she is competing in her first duathlon - an athletic event including both cycling and running - at Tuffman Tri 113 in Chandigarh on August 21.

She will have a go at Tuffman’s Olympic duathlon’s category that comprises 40 km cycling, followed by 10km running. 

“For me, age is no barrier in pursuing anything new. I want to tell everyone that age is just a number,” says Sangeeta, who is settled in Gurgaon. “I was never an athlete of any sort or participate in any type of sports during my school or college days. I entered the mountaineering world at nearly 47. 10 years later, I have climbed six of the Seven Summits of the world and aim to complete the seventh one in the near future. Now, I want to crack duathlon and triathlon for which I returned to cycling after a gap of nearly four decades. So, whenever I get an opportunity, I motivate people, especially women above 50, that when I can pursue all these activities at this age, why can’t they," she says. 

To prepare for triathlon, that also features swimming, Sangeeta started learning swimming at the age of 57.

“Because of Covid, I could not go to the mountains, so I thought of taking up some new activity. Thanks to my son, who is studying in America and is part of the Tri Club there, I was introduced to triathlon. My next target is to compete in my first triathlon and be recognised as a triathlete by my 58th birthday in February next year, " says a determined Sangeeta.