Paralysed at 9, near-blind at 24: At 91, Imelda shows it’s never too late to chase gold medals

PANAJI: At 6am on Saturday, a sprightly lady with her kit bag walked into the Athletics Stadium at Santa Cruz in Goa and strode straight to the registration desk. Maria Imelda de Sousa was among the first few athletes to arrive for the National Women Masters Athletics Championship.

Imelda, who retired as a teacher, is 91 and the only participant in her age group of over 90 years. She registered for shot put, javelin throw and her pet event, 100m run.

“I was never an athlete (in my youth) and took to running after accidentally discovering veteran’s athletics, that too after retirement,” Imelda, who previously won an Asian Masters silver in 400m and gold in relay, told TOI . “I don’t train specifically for championships. Whenever there is a Masters event, I take part. Maybe it’s the genes from my mother who used to ride a horse when she was in her teens in TimorLeste. She lived till 96.”


As a nine-year-old Class IV student, she was forced to stay at home, paralysed, unable to walk for almost a year. At 24, she turned so sick that her vision blurred and she couldn’t take even a few steps for five months, prompting her to take leave from her teaching job.

“A doctor used to come home everyday. I thought I would die,” said Imelda.
Today, Imelda walks to the market in Mapusa to buy vegetables. She cooks and washes clothes with her own hands, without ever using the washing machine.

Avoid two wheelers and use your legs to commute, advises Imelda

She cooks less, orders more, and prefers to have vegetables three times a day, with less rice. “I have a lot of problems from my waist up, a displaced vertebra, neck pain, and aching shoulders. But waist down, I feel as good as anyone else. All my life, I’ve walked long distances and that has helped,”

Wherever possible, Imelda walks, a trait she discovered when, as a seven-yearold, she walked from Colvale to Revora with her father, covering a distance of 4km. During a trek to Assonora hill some years ago, everyone stopped at the foot of the hill but Imelda kept walking.

“During my days as a primary school teacher at Nuvem, there was a circular from the department of education asking all teachers to be in school before 7.30am. If you were late, your presence was marked red. I had to take an early morning bus from Mapusa to Agasaim, then cross the Zuari on a ferry and take another bus.

“Many times, when the ferry was about to leave, I used to run so that I wouldn’t miss it and get delayed. People were worried on seeing an old 50-plus lady run and thought I was abnormal. But walking and running came naturally to me,” Imelda said with a laugh.

Imelda would have had competition at the National Women Masters Athletics if Rajasthan’s Pani Devi had turned up. The 94-year-old registered for the 100m, shot put and discus throw but, according to the organisers, her family did not allow her to travel to Goa due to the oppressive heat.

Imelda was full of energy on Saturday. She first picked up a 2kg shot put, typically used for young athletes aged between 7 and 12, and Masters above 75, and hurled it over 3m. Then, in the 100m run, she completed the distance in 44 seconds and was left disappointed that she didn’t better the 43 seconds she clocked last year.

“My advice to everyone is to avoid two-wheelers, wherever possible. Use your legs to commute,” she said. She will return on Sunday for her last event, the javelin throw.