Saiyami Kher recalls the ordeal of losing her luggage before Ironman Race: Mentally, it was exhausting

Saiyami Kher is set to participate in the Ironman race today in Berlin. However, the actor had a challenging start leading up to it. The actor was in Canada last week for a special premiere of her 2023 film Ghoomer, and headed straight to Berlin for her race from there. But her luggage containing all her sporting gear was misplaced by the airlines and Saiyami had to take to social media to voice her concern.

Reflecting on the whole ordeal, the actor shares, “Last week was exhausting to say the least. It wasn’t something I was prepared for. I had to go to Canada, and it wasn’t a good experience from the word go. My flights were delayed, and I missed my connecting flight. It took me 40 hours to reach Canada, and I was there for just a day. Then when I flew out, I had a terrible connecting flight again from Edmonton in Canada to Toronto, and from there to Iceland to Berlin. That was the fastest way to reach, and that’s where my luggage went missing.”

Saiyami insists that while she wouldn’t have been this “paranoid or stressed” under normal circumstances but the luggage had all her Ironman gear in it. “I have been practicing for it for the last six months and it’s crucial to use what you have been practicing in. You can’t wear a new pair of shoes in the race as you can get a shoe bite. You can get chafing with a new wet suit, and everything was in that bag. When the bag went missing for two days, Iceland Air put their hands up that we can’t find it and we can’t trace it. I started thinking of the worst-case scenario and thought of buying new gear. I spent a whole day, but I couldn’t find a wet suit in my size anywhere in Berlin, as the only store that had it was shut for renovation. I thought of all the alternative ways I could,” she shares.

However, the Indian embassies in Berlin and Iceland came to her rescue. “I put it up on social media because I thought it would be the quickest way to get through this very unprofessional airline. Fortunately, a lot of people reached out to me and helped me get in touch with the very helpful and kind embassies in Iceland and Berlin, who helped me trace my bag. It took them at least 48 hours to get my bag back but it was only because of their efforts that the airline probably traced the bag, otherwise it would have been easy for them to just say it was lost.”

For Saiyami, whose sole focus needed to be on the physically demanding race, got waivered because of the incident. “Mentally it was very exhausting, but I will say it was just a hurdle before the race. I just needed to keep my spirits high and that’s what I tried. I am excited for the race and the last-minute pre-race nerves are there. It’s super cold and raining in Berlin but hopefully I’ll manage to cross the finish line,” she ends.