Heart patient becomes a victorious athlete

On Jul 25, 2021

Parakrama Chandrasiri of Walana, Panadura is an internationally famous, highly talented athlete who has excelled in the veterans track and field events during the past few years.

After his basic education at Diamond Jubilee College, Walana, Panadura, Chandrasiri, joined the People’s Bank as a stenographer and retired at 55, due to a heart illness in 2019.

He began performing exercises and running as leisure activities on the medical instructions.

Chandrasiri was placed fifth in the Men’s 100m and third in the 200m events at the 34th Masters Open Athletics Championship held in 2013 in Singapore.

It was the first occasion that Chandrasiri won a medal at an international athletic meet and he was honoured and warmly welcomed by his villages with a felicitation ceremony for him.

Chandrasiri also won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m events at the Kalutara District State Services Athletics Championship Meets held at Bandaragama.

He also won two Bronze Medals in the 400m and 1,500m events at the Masters Athletics Championship Meet held at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Homagama.

“I never thought that I would be able to live or engage in athletics and I am still living because of the surgery done by specialist cardiologist Dr. Wasanthi Ratnayeke at the Colombo National Hospital,” he said.