24 September,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer Surve
Vishwas Mote, deputy municipal commissioner, zone III
Determination, dedication and discipline are three Ds I follow at work and in my personal life," said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vishwas Mote, 48, who completed the Ironman triathlon - which took place along Italy's coastal Emilia-Romagna region on September 21 - in 15 hours.
Mote told mid-day, "I come from an Army family. I completed my schooling at Belgaum Army School where I was introduced to fitness. I got a diploma and degree in civil engineering from the Government Engineering College in Pune and went on to work with private companies."
The official, who also has master's degrees in finance and law, joined the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as an engineer in 2005. In 2012, he was promoted to the top post of assistant municipal commissioner. Such officials are known as the commissioners of wards. "During this time, I drifted away from the regular exercise routine I had been following since I started going to college. It was in 2016 that I resumed exercising and as it became the norm, I started gaining confidence to do more and better. Subsequently, I was appointed a coordinator of the Fit India Movement."
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Mote now oversees zone III, which spans Bandra, Khar, Santacruz, Jogeshwari and Andheri East. Explaining how he stays fit, he said, "On weekdays, I exercise between 5.30 am and 7.30 am while I work out for five hours on weekends. Exercise doesn't mean only weightlifting; I focus on activities like running, cycling and
swimming, too. After âme time', I focus on my professional life, as I can't compromise when it comes to my work as a public servant."
He added, "It's not like I started exercising today and immediately entered the Ironman. I approached it step by step. I started running for 2 km, then completed half marathons and full marathons. In 2022, I successfully completed Ironman 70.3, held in Goa, in 7.29 hours. After two years, I reached here."
The recent Ironman triathlon was held in three phases. The first involved swimming a 3.8-km stretch in the sea and the second biking through a 180 km track in Cervia's Salina Nature Park. This includes riding up into the hills to Bertinoro. The last phase was a marathon, with athletes dashing through Cervia and Milano Marittima. Mote completed the triathlon in exactly 15 hours, 25 minutes and four seconds, coming in at 2,204th place.
"Daily exercise not only helps me to increase my physical stamina but it helps me handle and overcome my workload. During this phase, my wife Sonal Mote stood with me, she took responsibility for the family," Mote said.
He added, "I am not sharing my journey to glorify myself but to inspire others to take up fitness. We can do so much if we are fit. Everyone has the potential to create a miracle and to create that miracle, they have to do it." I want to be inspired by reading things.
Mote encouraged mid-day's readers to engage in 30 minutes or more of physical activity daily. "This will not only increase one's physical strength but also improve their mental balance, leading to a more perfect work-life balance," he added.
2022
Year Vishwas Mote completed Ironman 70.3
