As he climbs down the stairs from his first-floor apartment, there’s a spring in his step. But that’s not unusual for an athlete. Dressed in comfortable denim trousers, black T-shirt and a stylish hat perched on his head, Yogendra Vaidya could well be in his late 50s. Only, he’s not. Vaidya, affectionately known as ‘Nanubhai’, is all of 76 years old.

On reaching the ground floor, he points to a simple bicycle. “This is my cycle,” he says, as if introducing an old friend. There’s nothing special or funky about it. The slender pink-and-silver bicycle is like any other but, for Nanubhai, it’s been a companion of many a journey across Ahmedabad and beyond. His love for cycling is so infectious that many elders who reside in the western Ahmedabad Chinai Baug housing society where Nanubhai lives have also taken up cycling in right earnest. “You cannot go without food and sleep,” he says. “In my case, add cycling and swimming to that list.”

Nanubhai has many cycling exploits to his credit. He belongs to a cycling group that does cross-country trips together. In 2013, they cycled 1,980 km from Ahmedabad to the Wagah border, a 28-day rally for world peace. In 2013, he joined a Kanyakumari-to-Islamabad cycle march for peace organised by university students from Delhi. And four years later, in 2017, Nanubhai and another Ahmedabad resident cycled from India Gate to the Wagah border with a message of peace between India and Pakistan.

Cycling is one of two passions for Nanubhai; the other is swimming. In recognition of his sporting achievements in both fields, Nanubhai was presented the Vayoshrestha Samman, the National Award for senior citizens instituted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, recently. At a glittering ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, he was conferred the award in the ‘Adventure and Sports’ category by the President of India, along with 22 other awardees in different categories.

Born in Mandvi, a town on the banks of the mighty Tapti River near Surat in Gujarat, he developed a love for swimming very early. “Our house was just 500 m from the river and I spent most of my time in the water,” recalls Nanubhai, who worked with the Home Guards in Civil Defence and retired as chief warden of the Gujarat Home Guards.

Nanubhai is a regular at both state and national-level swimming meets, and consistently bags medals at the Gujarat State Masters’ Aquatic Championships and National Masters’ Aquatic Championships. Winning gold, silver and bronze medals in different events comes easily to him. Last year, at the 13th National Masters’ Aquatic Championships held in Secunderabad, Nanubhai bagged medals in the 50-m butterfly, 50-m freestyle, 4 x 50-m freestyle, 100-m breaststroke, 100-m freestyle and 4 x 50-m medley relay events. In his drawing room, an entire showcase is devoted to his trophies, medals, certificates and memoirs. He is also an expert at solo diving, pike diving, tuck diving and back diving, and has participated in the World Masters Championships held in 2012 at Riccione in Italy and in 2014 in Canada.

With a twinkle in his eye, he says of his participation in the championship in Italy, “During a practice diving session at the Stadium pool in Ahmedabad, I accidently hit the diving board and took a few stitches to the back of my head. My family doctor strictly advised me against going to Italy. But I went anyway and participated without disclosing my injury to anyone!”

To this day, Nanubhai follows a military-style routine, which keeps him shipshape. “I rise at 4 am and after my morning ablutions, I set off on a 15-km cycle ride. Then, at the old Law Garden, I run a laughter club, and from there, I go to the Stadium swimming pool where I first work out in the gym and then enjoy a swimming and diving session. I return home by 10 am,” he reveals.

For most of the day, he is busy with a wide range of social activities, civil defence services and, in the capacity of chairperson, visits the Haja Patel Pol Consumer Cooperative Society, which sources and sells groceries. In the evenings, Nanubhai returns to the Law Garden for a stroll. “My evening walks are with leisure and pleasure, unlike the morning regime, which is more military. After I return home, I eat a light dinner and retire to bed by 9 pm,” reveals Nanubhai, who lives with his wife, a former telecom employee.

Quiz him about the secret to his excellent health and Nanubhai looks genuinely confused. He shrugs, “Eat regularly, sleep regularly and exercise regularly.” As an afterthought, he adds, “If you want to remain fit, avoid street food like pav-bhaji and items made of maida including bread. Papad is the spiciest food I have ever eaten.”

And he has never drunk a cup of tea or coffee in his life! He advises against another potentially ‘unhealthy’ practice: watching TV. Describing the habit as a huge “time-waster”, he corrects himself, quickly. “The sole exception is the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah serial.”

Nanubhai’s sporting spirit is the manifestation of his positive spirit and one of his biggest fans is his son-in-law Baiju Trivedi, an engineer by profession. “I consider myself lucky to have a father-inlaw like him. Most people his age just sit at home and grumble about everything but Nanubhai is full of life.”

—Nayeem Quadri

Photos: Yogendra Vaidya
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
February 2018