Tamara won first marathon in 1982 | Sunday Observer

Tamara won first marathon in 1982

9 June, 2019
Tamara Padmini Wickremasinghe
Tamara Padmini Wickremasinghe

Tamara Padmini Wickremasinghe, attached to the Dept. of Education, Kandy as a Physical Training Teacher is the first female runner to participate and win the Marathon race in the year 1982.

Before participating in this 26 Miles 385 yards race Tamara had the opportunity to win 800 metres and 1500 metres events at the Sri Lanka National Meet for three consecutive years. She has been encouraged by her coach, K.L.S. Wijedasa to run the Marathon Race.

She won the 1500 M 3000 M and 5000 M races at the Veterans Athletic Championship meets held in Malaysia in the year 1997 and in Japan in the year 1998. Her last competitive athletic meet before taking up coaching was the all Island Teachers Meet held at Duraiappa Stadium, Jaffna where she won the 800 Metres, Triple Jump and the High Jump events in the year 2011.

As a Physical Training Teacher at Mahamaya Girls College, Kandy she coached Mahamaya athletic team to win the Team Championship for many years at the District and Provincial Athletic Meets from 1992 to 2013. At Mahamaya, she produced two Asian Games athletes in Pradeepa Herath and Shalika Ranasinghe.

After that she got a transfer to Pushpadana Balika, Kandy and continued her good work as an athletic coach there from 2013 to date. Tamara says that present day athletes have all the necessary facilities and encouragement to become good athletes and urged the young boys and girls to continue athletics and to represent the country at international meets.

 

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