For some women, going for a run is a simple way to stay fit. For others, it involves checking whether the route is well lit, finding someone to accompany them and deciding whether it is safe to be outdoors after dark. Class 12 student Kridha Gupta from Ambala began noticing how these everyday concerns shaped women’s access to fitness. Her own experience played a part. When she wanted to exercise more seriously, her mother was uncomfortable with the idea of sending her to a gym where there were few women. Outdoor workouts were not always convenient either, particularly in poorly lit areas.Instead of accepting these limitations, Kridha decided to bring women together. What began as a small group of five or six runners eventually grew into RunX, a women-only running club with more than 200 members. But the initiative soon became about more than running. As women began sharing their experiences, the group started looking at the conditions that made public spaces difficult to use. Poor street lighting emerged as one of the concerns they wanted to address. “Access to fitness should not depend on how safe a woman feels occupying a public space,” Kridha says.
A running club that began asking bigger questions
RunX started with a straightforward purpose: to give women a space where they could exercise together and feel more comfortable outdoors. As the membership grew, so did the conversations. Women spoke about roads they avoided, places that became uncomfortable after sunset and the importance of better lighting. Kridha began to see that the issue was not simply whether individual women were willing to exercise. The condition of the public spaces around them also mattered. She understood that a school student could not change an entire city’s infrastructure overnight. However, she could organise a community, bring attention to the problem and approach local institutions with specific concerns.Through RunX, she helped raise close to Rs 8 lakh, supporting the installation of five streetlights along poorly lit routes in collaboration with Resident Welfare Associations across Ambala. The initiative also reached the Mayor’s office. According to the report, proposals for additional lighting and safer public spaces entered Ambala’s 2026 civic policy agenda. For Kridha, the effort showed how a fitness activity could become a way to raise questions about who gets to use public spaces comfortably and what changes are needed to make them more accessible.
Bringing people together through a shared cause
Building a community was not as easy as Kridha had initially imagined. She assumed that people would naturally support an idea if it addressed an important concern. She soon realised that a cause also needed clear communication, participation and a plan that people could connect with. One of the initiatives that helped bring people together was the Ambala Martyrs Run, organised in collaboration with the Indian Army. The event attracted around 400 runners and raised approximately $1,000 for the families of martyrs.The run brought together fitness, remembrance and community participation. It also gave more people an opportunity to discover the running group and understand its wider purpose. The experience changed how Kridha approached organising. She learnt that having a meaningful idea was only the beginning. People needed to understand what the initiative stood for and how they could contribute.
From running routes to classrooms and careers
Kridha’s work gradually expanded beyond RunX. The Mayor of Ambala nominated her to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Associates Programme, through which she worked with the Education Mission in rural Haryana. As part of this work, she conducted workshops in more than 20 government schools, reaching over 7,000 students. The sessions covered higher education, career options, leadership and gender equity. The focus was to help students understand the opportunities available to them and encourage them to think about their future. For Kridha, this connected with the same larger question that had shaped RunX: how can people gain access to opportunities that should not be limited by their circumstances?Her interest in creating opportunities also extended to former athletes. Through Khel Vikas, she worked towards helping sportspeople use their experience to build careers after competitive sport. The initiative helped certify 40 former national-level athletes as high-school coaches and organised more than 10 skill-building sessions focused on communication and professional readiness. One example was Ravi, an athlete associated with the Sportsathon Foundation, who eventually moved into a school coaching role in Delhi. The transition allowed him to use his sporting experience in a new professional setting.
Why starting small can make a difference
Managing these initiatives while studying in Class 12 has also taught Kridha to recognise where she needs support. Organising a running group and planning activities may be possible independently, but larger events, permissions, institutional partnerships and legal documentation often require adult guidance. She says seeking help does not make a student-led initiative any less independent. Knowing when to involve people with the right experience is also part of leadership.Her advice to other young people is to begin with something manageable rather than waiting for the perfect plan or resources. “If you care about something, begin with five people,” she says. “Begin with one street, one classroom or one weekend.” RunX began with a handful of women who wanted to run together. It has since grown into a larger community that has taken up concerns around public lighting and women’s access to outdoor spaces.Kridha’s work does not suggest that one student can solve every challenge related to women’s safety, education or sports careers. Better infrastructure and lasting social change require continued involvement from communities and institutions. But her experience shows how a local concern can become a starting point for collective action. Sometimes, change begins not with a large campaign but with a few people deciding that an everyday problem deserves attention.
