Ghoomer star Saiyami Kher has become the first Indian actor to complete the Ironman 70.3 triathlon twice in one year, she said on Tuesday.

Sharing photos from the event, the 33-year-old said she shares a deeply personal connection with endurance sport.

“Finished my second Ironman 70.3. And my heart is full. Two races in ten months, while juggling a year filled with work, only reminds me of one simple truth: discipline always beats excuses. People often ask why I put myself through this kind of torture. The truth is, it’s not about proving anything to the world. I’ve never thrived on external validation,” Saiyami wrote on Instagram.

She added, “Endurance sport is deeply personal. It’s a race against my own self. Against my own doubts. My only goal this year was to be better than I was last year.”

Saiyami, who recently featured in Sunny Deol’s Jaat, recalled the experience of participating in the sports event for the first time in September 2024.

Her second attempt, she said, was even more impressive as she completed the race 32 minutes earlier than she did in the first attempt. The triathlon included battling cold waters, steep hills, and strong headwinds.

“A tougher course. Harsher conditions. And I finished 32 minutes faster. When I first arrived in Jönköping, I was overwhelmed. The cold, choppy swim. The relentless bike hills. My periods kicking in. And then, a thunderstorm warning. Every part of me wanted to crawl back into the comforts of the soft hotel bed,” she said.

“It turned out to be the most stunning course, with punishing hills and headwinds but somehow, the race felt like a breeze. Maybe because something inside me had quieted. Maybe because I remembered why I started. There’s a strange, indescribable satisfaction in finishing something that once felt impossible. A quiet pride. A deep joy,” Saiyami added.

The Ironman 70.3 is one of the most gruelling endurance challenges in the world, testing athletes across 1.9 km of open water swimming, 90 km of cycling, and a 21.1 km half-marathon run all within a single day.

On the work front, Saiyami Kher was recently seen in the second season of JioHotstar’s crime and thriller series Special Ops.