Venu Madhavan Pillai, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, recently won the bronze medal in the Powerlifting championship, in the 83 kg category, conducted by the Indian Powerlifting Federation and organised by the Tamilnadu Powerlifting Association and Trichy District Powerlifting Association, from May 11 to 14, at Trichy.
Fifty-three year old Venu has been in the sport since he was 16 years old. He was recently diagnosed with leukaemia and has been undergoing treatment for the same. Post his win, Venu went straight for his chemo session. “Doctors told me that my cancer was in stage 3 and chances of my life were very slim. When the doctors were sceptical of treating me, I asked the doctor if my chances of life will reduce if I were treated. They said no, and thus I started my treatment,” recounts Venu.
His health is however not a damper for Venu, “If we consider cancer as a big disease, it will swallow your life. Consider it just like a cold or fever and you will be able to manage your health and life better,” he says as he explains his schedule: 5 days of rest after chemo and then start walks and exercise till the next session of chemo. He adds that a good diet and hygiene is also essential to tide over the tough times. “Even though I vomit a lot, I still continue to eat with the hope that at least 10% of what I eat will be absorbed by my body and it’s very essential to eat to maintain our vitals,” he adds.
Spirituality has also helped Venu keep going, “God is there to look after me.” Venu has been incharge of the Vedic Study Centre at Viswa Hindu Vidya Kendra Vedic and General Education Trust, Canal Bank Road, Thiruvanmiyur. He can be reached at 92837 98240.
