Meet Rajasthan’s Iron Man who has set a rare example

At a time when there is increasing number of obese police officers in force, a 47-year-old officer of the Rajasthan Police Services (RPS) has set an example for his colleagues to follow. RPS Sunil Prasad Sharma, currently posted as Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), has completed the two-day Jaipur International Triathlon to win the title of Iron Man.

To earn the coveted tag, he completed three events—cycling, swimming and marathon—in a little over seven hours, a feat only attained by the fittest of the men.

For completing the Half Iron Man event, Sharma completed two kilometres of swimming, 90 kms of cycling and 21 kms of marathon running. “We always come across this perception that cops are the utmost unfit group. I have always tried to motivate the men by not only telling them about the benefits of staying fit but also that staying fit presents a better image of the police, since we are the ones who have to be active and agile in our field of work,” Sharma said while talking to DNA.

The event that started on Saturday night culminated at 4 am on Sunday by Sharma after an exhaustive and gruelling 7.30 hours. Interestingly, Sharma has previously as well participated in a marathon from Amar Jawan Jyoti in Jaipur to Wagah Border in February 2017.

“I dedicated that run to the martyrs of our nation and it was my way of showing solidarity to the martyrs and their families while also condemning the terrorist activities,” Sharma said. He added, “My view is to motivate the youth and fellow policemen to get fitter so as to be able to motivate other people and serve the country better.”