94-Year-Old Wins 4 Golds After Starting Track in Her 90s

Most athletes retire in their thirties, but Pani Devi Godara didn't even start competing until her nineties.

The 94-year-old from rural Rajasthan just swept four gold medals at the Asian Masters Athletics Championship in Chennai. She won the 100-meter sprint, shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw in the women's 90+ category, proving that starting late doesn't mean finishing last.

Pani Devi's path to the podium started with survival, not sport. Born in rural Rajasthan, she married young and her dreams of athletics faded into daily life. After her husband died, she raised eight children alone while farming to keep food on the table.

Years of farm work built the foundation for what came later. Lifting, running between fields, and endless physical labor shaped her strength in ways no gym could replicate.

Everything changed when she stopped at a stadium in Bikaner and watched young athletes train. The sight awakened something she thought she'd lost decades earlier. Even in her nineties, she decided it wasn't too late.

Local coaches encouraged her to try. She started with short runs and gradually added throwing events. Her body remembered how to move with purpose.

In 2024, at 92, she won three gold medals at the National Masters Athletics Championship in Pune. She repeated those wins in Bengaluru in 2025. Then came Chennai and her international breakthrough.

Why This Inspires

Pani Devi's story challenges everything we assume about aging and ability. She didn't need a lifetime of professional training or expensive equipment. She just needed to start.

Her daily life remains simple. She still helps with light farm work, cares for her cows and buffalo, and eats the same bajra roti, vegetables, and ghee she always has. The difference is she now runs, throws, and competes between chores.

Financial barriers still limit her reach. She qualified for the World Masters Athletics Championship in Sweden in 2024 but couldn't afford to go. Despite sponsorship challenges, she keeps training and competing.

At 94, Pani Devi isn't just winning medals—she's rewriting the story of what's possible when determination meets opportunity, no matter how late it arrives.