Father-son duo shines in triathlon competition in Australia
The ‘Ironman Triathlon’ is one of the toughest competitions in endurance sports and requires a broad range of skills, strengths and endurance as it involves three different disciplines namely swimming, cycling and running
Kunal Kashikar, 40 and his son Viaan Kashikar, 10 have done India proud at a recent triathlon competition held in Busselton, Western Australia, on December 1. Kunal Kashikar, who is a Pune-based businessman, competed in the ‘Ironman Triathlon’ while his son Viaan competed in the ‘Ironkids’ category. Kunal said his son Viaan is the first child in Maharashtra to have qualified for this competition, that too in his very first attempt. Interestingly, Viaan’s mother, Minal Kashikar, too is an athlete.
The ‘Ironman Triathlon’ is one of the toughest competitions in endurance sports and requires a broad range of skills, strengths and endurance as it involves three different disciplines namely swimming, cycling and running. Typically, it takes nearly eight to 17 hours for athletes to complete the entire course. The competition attracts top-level athletes from around the world, which makes it extremely competitive. The ‘Ironman Triathlon’ is an extraordinary test of physical and mental endurance, pushing athletes to their limits and beyond.
In recent years, this competition has gained immense popularity among the people and several people from India have made their mark in the competition. Several others from Pune have participated in the competition apart from Kunal Kashikar and his son namely Mayur Bothe, assistant conservator of forests, Pune forest department; and Vishnu Tamhane, a senior police inspector and his son, Gaurang Tamhane. While the aforementioned people have participated in the Ironman category (18+ age group), and completed the contest, Viaan Kashikar participated in ‘Ironkids’ which is a triathlon competition for children aged nine to 12 years. The competition was held recently in only two countries including Australia and the US.
Viaan studies at the Millennium National School in Karvenagar. He is into sports and has participated in various district- and state-level competitions. He secured first place in the Goa Ironkids competition held in 2023. However, this competition only involved the running segment of the triathlon. The competition held in Australia included all three disciplines and Viaan was successful in 100-metre ocean swimming, two-kilometre cycling, and one-kilometre running.
Expressing his happiness, Viaan Kashikar said, “I am very happy not only for participating but also for completing the competition. My parents were my inspiration for this. Both of them are athletes and have earlier participated in a half Ironman competition. The competition was tough, especially the swimming part, and the water was really cold and swimming in the ocean was a difficult but very unique experience for me. Going ahead, I would love to participate in such competitions.”
Beaming with pride, Kunal Kashikar said, “Viaan crossed the finishing line holding the flag of India. It was a very special moment for all of us. Later on, Craig Alexander, who is a five-time ‘World Triathlon Champion’ from Australia, including three ‘Ironman Triathlon’ World Championships, especially mentioned Viaan’s name and also clicked a photo with him.”