In addition to being reckoned as India’s trailblazing Ophthalmologist, lauded globally for his unmatched genius and breakthroughs in the field of professional eye-care, there is even more to Dr. Cyres Mehta’s accomplishments than meets the eye!

Being an author of two books, a pianist, a bike connoisseur and claiming the top spot at the All-India Open Shooting Championships (organised in August 2024 by the National Rifle association of India), are just some of his eclectic achievements. And now, adding to these, Dr. Cyres has proven to truly be a man of ‘steel’ by completing the Ironman 70.3 Goa, an endurance sports triathlon, organized by the international franchise – World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), known for conducting the world’s toughest races.

Comprising a series of three long-distance (triathlon) races, the Ironman 70.3 Goa calls for completing a 1.9 km open-water swim, 90 kms of cycling and 21.1 kms of running. Held for the fifth time in India, at Miramar Beach in Goa, on 27th October, 2024, nearly 4,000 men and women participated to challenge their endurance in the daunting Ironman 70.3, which can be completed in two formats – as a team in the relay category or going solo in the individual category.

Dr. Cyres Mehta participated in the Relay Format, cycling across the new and zippy 2-lap bike course along the beautiful Goan landscapes, with team-mates Ritesh swimming in the clean waters of Miramar Beach and actor Sandeep Sachdev covering a 3-loop run course. As a team, they completed the triathlon in an impressive 7 hours and 30 minutes – an exemplary achievement as none are professional athletes, especially with Dr. Cyres making 53 years look like 35, flaunting some serious inspirational fitness!

Speaking with Parsi Times, Dr. Cyres Mehta shared, “Ironman is tough as it’s a closely controlled format. Cycling 90 kms was a big challenge – I started cycling at about 8:00 am, completing two loops of the 45 km Zuari cable-stayed bridge, which also included a 500-metre climb. I completed at around 11:30 am.”

So, what does it take to train for the Ironman? “To train for a race like Ironman you can’t do 2-3 rounds of Marine Drive and expect to complete a tough climb like this. I cycled regularly at Palm Beach Road, and up the Parsik Hills (Thane) climb. I’d daily cycle 10 rounds of Walkeshwar – CM’s Bungalow lane – Hyderabad Estate climb, back-to-back, in an hour. It all boils down to preparation. As they say in the Navy Seals, ‘There’s no such thing as good and bad – you’re either trained or untrained’. If you couldn’t complete it, you didn’t train right,” answers Dr. Cyres.

Kudos to Dr. Cyres Mehta for doing the community and the nation tremendously proud of his excellent, eclectic achievements! As the recipient of over 30 prestigious global and national awards, Dr. Cyres Mehta’s legacy is celebrated for its path-breaking advancements in eye-care, across India and worldwide, delivering great strides in the treatment of some of the most complicated eye diseases.