NEW DELHI: Leaving a good salaried job in the IT sector was not an easy choice for 31-year-old Manjunath Nagraj, but then, he chose his passion over the profession and went on to become a cyclist who has pedalled across the country to spread awareness about organ donation.
Manjunath, who is based in Bengaluru, has cycled the length and breadth of the country, covering a distance of 7,000 km. Broken down in two phases; he first covered a distance of 4,000 km from Kanyakumari to Kashmir in 40 days, and then a distance of 3,000 km from Ahmedabad to Guwahati in 20 days.
“Leaving a comfortable job was not an easy call. Two years ago I started exploring more about the organ donation situation in India, and found out that the ratio is very poor… there is just 1 donor for each lakh. Initially, I started visiting some small NGOs and did some charity work, but soon realised that the issue needs wider coverage,” he told this newspaper.
After quitting his job in January, Manjunath began preparing for cycle rides. Meanwhile, he had started covering distances of around 400 – 500 km from Bengaluru and trained how to survive in extreme weather conditions.
“When I started my journey it was raining heavily in South India. There were floods and ill-maintained roads. I met with a few minor accidents as well, but was prepared to face all sorts of adversities,” Manjunath mentioned.
Instead of taking highways, he opted to take longer routes so that he could visit as many villages, towns and cities to spread the word.
“My main purpose was to create awareness and for that, I knew I had to opt for such roads. Roads, that led to multiple towns and villages. It was a once in a lifetime journey for me. I chose a bicycle because I knew it would help me to connect with anyone, anywhere,” said Manjunath.