Episode 076 – Vishwaraj Jadeja | Elite athlete & Long track Speed skater

Vishwaraj Jadeja is an elite athlete, and a Long track Speed skater, who has put India on the map for ice skating, while competing at the international level.

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Listen to his story of growing up in a family of athletes and competing at national levels in roller skating and roller hockey as a kid, to now setting dozens of world records and representing India in speed skating internationally.

In January 2019, he set an unofficial world record for the highest altitude ice skating, 5 kilometers on the frozen Tso Moriri in Ladakh. Check out the trailer of On Thin Ice, a series that documents this feat.

^{_{Photograph by Ravi Mistry}}

Competitions aside, Vishwaraj regularly heads out on several adventures on ice. He’s on a quest to gain more records on several frozen lakes across the Indian Himalayas. Showcasing his skills on ice, he hopes to inspire people to explore the world of ice skating in India.

_{^{Photograph by Steffen Lehmann}}

Vishwaraj has 65 world records to his name, and has competed in over 220 races at top level winter sporting events across Europe and Asia.

_{^{Photograph by Ravi Mistry}}

Cheer him on and support him in your own way, as he prepares to represent India and take top honours at the Winter Olympics in 2022!

^{_{Photograph by Ravi Mistry}}

You might also find him zipping past on ice rinks and frozen lakes somewhere in the world!

Also mentioned in this episode
4Play – Aanchal Thakur – Alternative Elfstedentocht – Cricket in India – Elfstedentocht – Fear Factor – French Alps – Gujarat Government – Himalayas – I Tonya – Ice Hockey in Canada – Ice Hockey in Ladakh – Ice skating – Ice skating under the Northern Lights – IMF Mountain Film Festival – Indian Ice Skating Association – Inline speedskating – Ishani Singh Jamwal – Joe Rogan – Khairaar – Ladakh – Ladakh Tourism – LazerXTech – Leander Peas – Long-track ice skating in The Netherlands – Luge – Marnix Koolhaas – Masters World Games – Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports – Neil D’souza – Olympics – Omkar – Pahaadcast – Pangong Tso – Plieger Sport – Ravi Mistry – Red Bull – Roller Hockey – Rupali Prakash (Classic Cars) – Schbang – Shiva Keshavan – Soccer in Brazil – Sports Authority of Gujarat – Spotify – The Netherlands – Triple Axel – Tour de France – Wim Hof – Wim Hof method – Wim Nieuwenhuizen – Winter Olympics – Winter World Masters Games

Timestamps for reference
07:46 A bit of Vishwaraj’s journey until now
12:30 Vishwaraj’s cycling sessions
14:35 Vishwaraj’s routine
17:09 Vishwaraj’s views on sports diet
22:28 How did Vishwaraj find his coach Wim Nieuwenhuizen?
31:08 What is long-track ice skating?
37:20 Current scenario (2020) of winter sports in India
44:04 Training and giving back to India
49:21 Setting ice skating records on frozen lakes
52:40 Vishwaraj’s skating team in The Netherlands
53:43 How does Vishwaraj unwind?
54:45 Future plans of Vishwaraj
58:22 What does it take to prepare for the Olympics?
59:33 Sponsorships in sports
01:05:26 Why should you be interested in ice skating or other winter sports in India?

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Show cover jingle courtesy of Icons8
Music by Nordgroove from Fugue

Episode background tunes courtesy of YouTube Audio Library
100 Degrees Under by RAGE
Calcutta Sunset by E’s Jammy Jams

All photographs by Vishwaraj Jadeja unless otherwise stated