Pune: Pune’s Dr. Salil Patil (Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon), is one of the 12 Indians (11 men and 1 woman) who participated in IronMan 70.3 Triathlon World Championship. He successfully completed the Triathlon in 6 hours 11 minutes and 5 seconds and was awarded with a medal for the same. He is one of the 3550 men worldwide to have completed this World Championship Triathlon in 2022.
An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC). The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an Ironman Triathlon. The Ironman 70.3 series culminates each year with a World Championship competition, for which competitors qualify during the 70.3 series in the 12 months prior to the championship race. The Ironman 70.3 World Championship for the year 2022 was held at St. George, Utah on 28 and 29th October.
Dr. Salil Patil is a Gold medalist Plastic and Cosmetic surgeon. He has done his M. Ch. in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery and M.S. General Surgery from Civil Hospital Ahmedabad, and M.B.B.S. from Seth G. S. Medical College, Mumbai. Dr. Salil Patil is a Fellow member, Advanced Cosmetic Surgery as well as Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology. He is the Director as well as the Cosmetic, Hair Transplant & LASER surgeon at Dhanwantari’s Chrysalis (Pune) since 2017 and Director at TripMedical Global, a medical tourism initiative.
Inspite of his busy schedule, Dr. Salil is an avid fitness enthusiast. When asked about his biggest motivating factor being an athlete he said, “Staying fit, being physically capable of doing any activity I want, independently, has been my priority. And when I look in the mirror, I should be happy”. He believes he will never be completely satisfied as there is always room for improvement but he should be happy with the work done and efforts he puts in for himself.
When asked to guide through his training schedule for the event Dr. Salil said, “Training for an endurance activity or IRONMAN takes 6 months to 1 year depending on your current fitness.” Dr. Salil shared that he tried to get in 5-6 days of exercise in a week (8-10 hours) which included swimming, cycling, running, core exercises and stretching. “Once a week, I would get in a long workout( around 3 hours) and as the event approached, the duration and intensity of workouts increased and I did LOHPURUSH Kolhapur triathlon as a dress rehearsal before the main event”, said Dr. Salil Patil.
Dr. Salil regularly participates in various Triathlons and Marathons all over India and has many awards and accolades to his name. Successfully completing the Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2022 has added an International feather to his cap. Sharing his experience at the World Championship Dr. Salil says, “This was my 1st experience being in a World championship on the participant side. Amazing… absolutely fantastic. Surrounded by the fastest and fittest endurance athletes from all over the world, supported by razor edge tech (bikes, shoes, swimsuits…), the vibe was incredible. I’m glad and thankful I was a part of the Championship”
To all the enthusiasts who want to take part in Ironman events, Dr. Salil Patil gives the following message, “Do it. It’s a great way to stay fit and active. And it’s an awesome experience crossing the finish line. Is it actually worth all the hours and sweat and dust and grit? Yes.
Every single time….YES”
