Jamshedpur, June 25 -- When Apurva Anand crossed the finish line at Ironman Cairns in Australia this June, he registered his name in the annals of history. He became the first person from Jharkhand to complete a full Ironman.

The feat came after braving jellyfish-infested waters, cycling through rainforest-clad hills and battling cold coastal winds on foot. With a finish time of 15 hours and 52 minutes, Apurva joined one of the most exclusive clubs in the world: less than 0.01 per cent of the global population has ever completed a full Ironman -- a title earned, not given.

For the uninitiated, the Ironman triathlon is considered the toughest one-day endurance event in the world. It spans a total of 226 kilometres: a 3.8 km open-water sw...