Savio D’Souza: The Patron Saint of Marine Drive

What’s the height of positivity? 

 It’s a marathon runner, with a urine bag- the result of life-saving cancer surgery that removed his bladder- cheerfully noting that he no longer needs to worry about ‘bio breaks’ in the middle of a race, and might even save time! If that sounds impossible, you clearly haven’t met Savio D’Souza. 

If the Mumbai Marathon, has been credited with creating the distance running revolution in India, then surely, its face in SoBo is Savio. While, mass participation in running, was started by the Marathon in 2004, Savio D’Souza was racing marathons, before most of today’s runners, were born. He started his running career with Track Trotters in 1972, focusing initially on the 5k, 10k, and cross country. His moment in the sun, literally and figuratively, was in the Pune Marathon in 1985 and 1986. In intensely hot weather, he won two years consecutively, including a heroic effort where he closed a deficit of 1000 meters, on his nearest challenger, the tall Tanzanian, Stephen Marwa, in 1986. 

Post-racing, he started coaching children, at various locations, including the green lung of SoBo, the Oval Maidan, where he would put them through their paces. At the same time, at the Oval, my friend, Cyrus was putting his beloved Alsatian, Ruffo, through his paces. Cyrus Broacha, arguably India’s funniest man (and certainly India’s largest egg consumer), like most of us, is a huge Savio fan. He recollects a time when he was out with Ruffo, and forgot he also had his two-year-old daughter in tow. Having lost her, he scouted the lawn in panic, only to find her hanging out with Savio, and having a great time. Savio has this brilliant ability to connect with anyone he comes across, from the age of 2 to 82 (ask the dapper Capt Saigal). 

Fast forward to 2005, when he started coaching long-distance runners, with his first student being, Vipul Ambani- the genesis of Savio’s Stars. With each passing year, the tent of Stars has grown larger, and it includes the simplest of society, and its most elite, a distinction which Savio would never make. Savio is the definition of ‘God’s good man’, and his simplicity and welcoming nature strike you from the first meeting. In a world obsessed with money, he has no method to keep track of the fees owed to him, much to many of his students’ chagrin, who have implored him to come up with a system. He just shrugs it off, saying, “What does it matter if 2 or 3 out of 50 don’t pay, as long as my mind is at rest, and I can sleep.”

                                                                         

In October 2022, he started feeling unwell, and had abdominal pain and other GI symptoms. True to his nature, he didn’t want to bother anyone, especially since it was his daughter’s wedding in Goa in a few days. After the wedding, the pain became worse and he found blood in his stools. Further investigations, led to the dreaded diagnosis of colon cancer, for which drastic treatment was needed. I remember visiting him during several chemo sessions, and the conversation was anything but grim- if we weren’t in a hospital cancer ward, you could be fooled into thinking that this was an 8 am, post-run conversation at NCPA. Never once did his spirit falter, and he could see himself at the finishing line…. of a marathon, very soon. They say it takes a village- and the village of Savio’s Stars, magically appeared and did everything in their power to support the family, Rose, Naomi and Gaspar, as they strategized the battle plan (take a bow, Dev Raman and friends). Naomi, his daughter, a psychologist by profession was the lead, but the entire running community came together to support their hero. On 6^th July, 2023, he had radical surgery to remove the cancer, but it necessitated removing a large part of the colon, the bladder, and his prostate as well. For several months, Marine Drive did not feel the same. While runners had to run, the spring in their step was missing, as their driving force was recovering in a hospital bed.

They say you can’t put a good man down. Barely was Savio out of hospital, before he was back at NCPA one Saturday morning, much quicker than expected, jacket on, to cover his stoma bag, and mask on, to prevent infections. However, no mask, could hide the twinkle in his eyes as he walked across his happy hunting ground, reminding one of the famous lines in The Terminator, “I’ll be back”. And sure enough, he was! He had one more major surgery, and much to his doctor’s surprise was able to reverse the stoma bag for stools. The team attributed his amazing treatment success to his physical and mental resilience.

Cut to January 18, 2026. Elsie Nanji, arguably India’s pioneering lady in advertising and design (and certainly India’s fastest age group runner), was halfway through her half marathon run, with Savio by her side, when he made it his mission to pace her toward a podium finish. Elsie has been running with Savio for the past twenty years, and was used to his gentle ways, and sharp memory, quoting stories about her mother and sister, on their long runs, which she herself had forgotten. But on this day, the gentle Savio was replaced by ‘Hitler’, as she puts it. When she stopped to take a planned pit stop at Peddar Road, she was running out of breath, and hung on to her husband Hossi to take a break, Savio fired her, “How much love do you want, come on”. As the duo turned the bend at Babulnath, and entered Marine Drive, the dreaded existential questions which hit runners, when extreme fatigue and cramps set in, she begged him to leave her, so she could slow down. Savio looked her squarely in the eyes and said, “YOU DO NOT HAVE CRAMPS”, leading her step by step, all the way to the top of the podium.

There’s an old African saying, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be running.’ Taking poetic license, I’d like to add, ‘it doesn’t matter if you’re a walk-jogger or a podium finisher, when the sun comes up at NCPA, you better be there, with the Patron Saint of Marine Drive, Savio D’Souza, leading the way!

        

                                                      Savio, leading Elsie towards her podium!

   Savio, with Rose at home (where she complains, he doesn't do any work, citing his health :) )