Bhubaneswar: The participants at 42.5 km Manchester Marathon 2023 in the UK were in for a surprise as an Odisha native recently took the endurance race test clad in a beautiful Khandu silk saree, unique to her home state.
Here we are talking about Madhusmita Jena, a high schoolteacher in Manchester and active member of North West England Odia community. She completed the marathon in 4 hours and 50 minutes.
Madhusmita had been participating in marathons and ultra marathons across the globe, but this was the first time that she did so wearing a saree. “People have this pre-conceived notion that women cannot run in a saree. By completing this marathon, I have proved them wrong,” the native of Kusupur village, around 30 km away from Kendrapada, to the media.
The 41-year-old further added that she often wears sarees during summers in the UK.
The Odia community in the UK is all praise of her for showcasing Odisha’s rich heritage. “She always inspires us with new feats but this time she went an extra mile by running in a saree. The entire Odia community of the UK is proud of her achievements,” said trustee of UK Shree Jagannath Society and the former secretary of Odisha Society of UK Sukant Kumar Sahu.
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