Lt. Col. O.P.N. Kalyan (Retd.)
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
A 77-year-old Bengaluru-based Indian Army veteran particpated in the XXXVI Siberian International Marathon at Omsk, Russia.
Lt. Col. O.P.N. Kalyan (retd.), a retired Army Service Corps officer, completed a 10-km run in the marathon on August 1. Around 6,190 runners took part in the event, with only four foreign participants — two from Kenya, one from Ethiopia and Lt. Col. Kalyan representing India.
Emotional moment
“It was a proud and emotional moment for me to participate in the Siberian marathon and represent India. It had been my lifetime dream to run in Siberia, and finally, at the age of 77, I was able to accomplish it,” he said.
The next day on August 2, he took to the skies again, completing a tandem skydive from an altitude of 3,000 metres over Omsk.
The veteran undertook a tandem skydiving jump at the Omsk Aviation Sports Club of DOSAAF, Russia.
Jumping from approximately 3,000 metres, he experienced around 40 seconds of freefall at nearly 200 kmph before the parachute opened at about 1,700 metres. The jump ended with a smooth and safe landing.
“It was a wonderful and thrilling jump over Siberia. The freefall was an unforgettable experience,” said Lt. Col. Kalyan who was also a paratrooper during his stint in the Indian Army.
He added that there was little time for rest after the marathon and that accomplishing the two feats were a fulfilment of a lifetime dream.
Earlier adventure
The veteran is no stranger to adventures, having participated in expeditions to the North Pole and the Arctic last year, during which he also undertook a Polar Plunge in the Arctic Ocean.
One year prior to this, he took a Polar plunge in the Southern Sea in Antarctica.
Lt. Col. Kalyan studied at King George’s School in Bengaluru, now Rashtriya Military School, before being commissioned into the Army Service Corps in 1969.
Published – August 11, 2026 09:09 pm IST
