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Bhakti Mathur

When doctors told Dhiraj Bhandary in 2018 that he had a rare, life-threatening disease and type 2 diabetes, he moved quickly to take charge of his health and transform his life.
Bhandary took up distance running and changed his lifestyle. Over the past four years, he has run four full marathons and 85 half marathons – 10 of these actual races and 75 runs in training – an average of one half marathon a month.
He dropped 21kg (46lb), from 96kg in 2018 to 75kg in 2020, and now weighs about 78kg. He went off medication for his type 2 diabetes in 2020. He inspired his wife and 12-year-old son to take up running, too.
His transformation six years ago came after a diagnosis of Fournier’s gangrene, a type of necrotising fasciitis or bacterial infection that may cause parts of the body’s soft tissue to die.

The now 45-year-old Bhandary had fallen ill with a high fever and was rushed to hospital, where his average blood glucose level had climbed to more than double the normal level and the infection was discovered. Prompt hospital admission and surgery saved his life. An eight-week recovery process followed.
“When the doctor told me that I could have lost my life, I was shocked. I decided to do what was in my control. I had ignored my health over the years, developing unhealthy eating habits,” says the resident of New Delhi, India, a partner in a professional services firm.
His work required him to travel for more than 15 days a month, and he would eat whatever he felt like – including lots of pizzas, biryani and ice cream, he says.
Two months after his operation, on August 15, 2018, India’s Independence Day, Bhandary cycled 100km (62 miles), leaving his doctors stunned.
“I wanted to prove to myself that I had recovered, and Independence Day seemed like a good day to commence my fitness journey,” he says. Bhandary used to cycle once every few months before his life-saving operation.

In February 2020, at his aunt’s recommendation, Bhandary joined Freedom from Diabetes, a holistic transformation programme for type 2 diabetes patients pioneered by Dr Pramod Tripathi, a doctor based in Pune, India.
It required Bhandary to monitor his blood sugar level four times daily, to exercise – and to change his diet. He now eats mostly fresh salads and millet, drinks vegetable juices, and controls his portion sizes.
“The best part of the programme was that it was conducted and monitored online,” he says. He went off diabetes medication soon after joining, and stuck with the programme for about a year.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Bhandary had participated in a few 10km runs for fun. He took up running seriously in July 2020, starting with short distances of 3km to 10km. He registered for his first half marathon in Delhi, which he ran virtually in November 2020, finishing in under two hours.
When roads reopened, he continued running, this time with discipline and consistency. From running 10km he kept going further, eventually running more than a half-marathon distance of about 21km.
I realised that running is something that I enjoy. I get to spend time with myself. It has taught me to prioritise my needs.
Dhiraj Bhandary explains why he loves running
He joined a running group of about 20 regular and experienced runners in his neighbourhood, who had been together for a decade.
“That was transformational. I suddenly went from being a ‘lone’ runner to having a ‘running family’. They had run several half and full marathons and gave me training and racing tips,” says Bhandary, who ran his first full marathon, the Tokyo Marathon, in March 2021, virtually with the group.
“More than anything I felt a sense of community and belonging. We ran a 2.75km loop in our neighbourhood, 15.5 times. We started at 4am, when it was dark. Soon it became hot and sultry,” he says. He finished in four hours and 16 minutes.
Joining the group was instrumental in making running a habit for him. Today, it is a part of his daily regime: he starts his day at 5am, runs for an hour or so, at least three days a week despite his hectic travel schedule, and is ready to start work at 9am.

“My runs are sacrosanct,” he says. “I realised that running is something that I enjoy. I get to spend time with myself. It has taught me to prioritise my needs. In the back of my mind, I had always aspired to be fit and become a distance runner. I had thought ‘someday I will run a marathon’ and my dream is now a reality.”
Post-pandemic, Bhandary ran the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January 2023.
“Running along with hundreds of other runners was special,” he says.
What helped him was having trust in his training, being humble and learning from others, and enjoying the small victories.
“The key to running success is to respect your body, hydrate, and most important of all, be with people who bring in positive energy and enjoy yourself,” he says.

Running the Tokyo Marathon in March 2023, was memorable. “It is one of the world majors and it was a privilege being one of the 140 Indians out of 37,239 people who participated in the race,” he says.
Bhandary has faced challenges, including iliotibial band injuries that forced him to take a break from running. He learned to rest after a long flight and not run when he was jet-lagged.
He took up strength training with a trainer twice a week, and made drastic changes to his diet, minimising his sugar intake and eliminating dairy products, wheat and rice, junk food, chocolates and cakes.
“I would not have been able to do this without the support of my wife, Deeksha, who took care of my diet and my nutrition,” he says. She started running a year ago, he says proudly, and ran her first half marathon – the New Delhi Half Marathon – in February.
Bhandary is in bed by 10pm on most days when he is not travelling for work. “Sleep is essential for a good quality and productive workout and to repair the muscles,” he says.
“What gives me joy is when people come up to me and tell me how my story has inspired them to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Hearing this is always a high point,” says Bhandary, whose own role model is Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan long-distance runner and 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion.
What advice would Bhandary give to people who want to start running?
“Just begin. Take the first step to your fitness journey. Start with a run-walk-run routine, even if it is for half a kilometre, and gradually increase the distance to what suits you,” he says. “Compete with yourself, never with others, find your community and be consistent.”
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Lifestyle

Health & Wellness

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Dhiraj Bhandary, who beat a flesh-eating disease, reversed his type 2 diabetes and lost 21kg, talks about taking up distance running


Dhiraj Bhandary, who beat a flesh-eating disease, reversed his type 2 diabetes and lost 21kg, talks about taking up distance running.


Disease

Medicine

How to age well

India