new delhi anyone would be ecstatic beyond belief to win a bronze medal at a world athletics championships not 94yearold bhagwani devi dagar when she won a bronze in shot put at the world masters athletics championships in tampere finland she exclaimed that she didnt like the colour of the metal but she wouldnt be denied the colour she liked on july 10 defying her age she grabbed a gold medal in the 100m sprint before earning her third medal another bronze in the discus throw at the event the people who crowded to congratulate dagar on her return to delhi on tuesday perhaps dont realise how many challenges she has overcome to become a world champion when she was 29 years old and pregnant she lost her husband her daughter died at the age of 11 in 2007 dagar underwent a bypass surgery what is also remarkable about the achievement of the wrinkled greyhaired woman with missing teeth is not only her age but that she took up athletics only in december last yeari had won three gold medals in the state and national championships in india so i wasnt familiar with the bronze colour and wasnt happy with it smiled dagar who lives in najafgarh she began her training only around six months ago under the guidance of her grandson vikas dagar 38 a para athlete vikas gave her a shot put ball and though she wasnt immediately enamoured she asked for the ball again the next morning my grandmother said she wanted to throw the iron ball and i realised she had an innate interest said vikas i took her to kakrola stadium thinking lets see how much she can dothere was no looking back for the nonagenarian four months after stepping on the stadium turf and taking up sprints shot put and discus dagar won three gold medals in the delhi state masters championships on april 12 and three more in the national masters championships on april 26may 2 she had come a long way from her indulgence in kabaddi as a child in her paternal village of khedka in haryana dagar who has studied up to class v considers vikas her role model i used to look at the wall in our house that is adorned with my grandsons pictures and certificates like him i have earned medals for the country and it feels great she beamedunlike other athletics who spend hours daily in rigorous training the elder star practises for an hour twothree days a week at her age we think warmup exercises and sessions on techniques are adequate said vikas a rajiv gandhi khel ratna awardee we dont do rigorous training because my grandmother could suffer injuries due to her agedagar of course makes it a point to remain fit and healthy starting her day at 6am every day she walks 2km each morning and evening our house is threestoried and i have to use the stairs to reach the terrace