From Battling Breast Cancer to Leading the Pack at TSK 25K
On October 19, 2024, Jhilum Sarkar, a 47-year-old yoga teacher and seasoned runner, finished her last radiation session for breast cancer. Less than two months later, on December 17, she will guide amateur runners in eastern India’s biggest road race, the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K (TSK 25K).
For the second year in a row, the 10K segment of the TSK 25K, in partnership with The Telegraph, will feature an all-women pacers’ team, with Sarkar among them. As a pacer, her role is to set a steady pace and lead runners to complete their race in 75 minutes.
Jhilum’s tryst with running began in 2017 after a routine office health check revealed her weight was 83kg. Initially hesitant, she started running and lost 28kg in two years. What began as a weight-loss journey turned into a lifelong passion. By 2018, she was running marathons and embracing running as her way of life.
In 2023, Jhilum faced one of her toughest challenges—breast cancer. Diagnosed while training for the Comrades Marathon, an 88km ultramarathon in South Africa, she underwent eight chemotherapy sessions and 15 rounds of radiation. Yet, her commitment to running remained unshaken.
“Running is about facing challenges and overcoming them,” Sarkar says. It became her source of positivity and strength throughout her cancer journey.
I have witnessed Jhilums grit and determination as she was my yoga guru and neighbour. Whenever we struggled with yoga poses she would promptly remind us ‘Everything is in your mind. Just try and try again, perfection will come eventually.’