GUJARAT: Is there anything more rewarding in life than turning pain into purpose? Meet Parag Panchal—his life is a saga of courage and resilience. Struck by polio at the tender age of two years, he was left with 85% disability and has walked with crutches ever since.
But from being a child excluded from school picnics and celebrations to becoming a man who can run 25 km backwards to raise funds for specially abled people, Parag has come a long way.
Today, he is a social reformer, a global representative for accessibility, and an inspiration to millions. Alongside his wife, Nita, who is also differently abled, he continues to remind the world that true strength lies not in the body, but in the human spirit that refuses to surrender.
“The world may see my crutches as a symbol of weakness,” Parag muses, “But, for me, they are the wings that help me fly against the wind.” Growing up, he had one mission—to prove that differently abled people are not a burden. And that they are just as capable of achieving greatness as anybody else. “I wanted to do something so bold that people would never again look at disability with pity but with respect,” he recalls.
Ask the 47-year-old how he turned to activism, and pat comes his reply: “One day, I was watching a sports channel, seeing athletes take part in 100- and 200-metre sprints. They all ran forward, powerful and fast. That’s when a wild thought struck me: “What if I run backwards?” For most, it would have been a fleeting joke. But for Parag, it became a mission.
But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Walking backwards with crutches meant he couldn’t see potholes, stones or other obstacles. The thought kept him awake at night. But he did it anyway.
His first day of training was gruelling. He managed just three kilometres, taking a tumble thrice, his head spinning and body aching. But each time he fell, he rose again. The next day, he ran a little longer—three minutes more, and then five, ten and so on. Soon, painful blisters formed under his arms and palms. Still, he pressed on.
For two relentless years, Parag trained four hours a day, through the bitter cold of winter, the scorching heat of summer, and pounding monsoon rains. Finally, he achieved the impossible: Running 25 km backwards in seven hours.
And in 2003, he finally unveiled his dream to the world. Before a stunned crowd, Parag completed a 25-km backward run from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar, inspiring countless onlookers. He didn’t stop there. He ran from Vadodara to Bardoli and Dabhoi, raising `3.5 lakh in donations for organisations serving specially abled people. His efforts earned him the Best Social Servant Award twice, in 2003 and 2013. But Parag’s vision went beyond personal feats.
He wanted to create a world where no one would face the same barriers he had. For over 13 years, he has been a vital part of Access Group-TAG, a team of architects, engineers and planners dedicated to building barrier-free environments. From wheelchair ramps and braille signages to accessible furniture and technology for the visually impaired, Parag’s work has touched countless lives.
Thanks to his efforts, 36 major public spaces like Gujarat Vidyapith, the Kalupur Railway Station, various hospitals and several public gardens have been transformed into accessible environments. His impact reached a global stage when, in 2014, he was invited by the German Agency for International Cooperation to present a paper at the International Conference on Accessibility. Earlier, in 2010, he attended prestigious disability training programmes in Japan and Malaysia. Despite his tireless activism, Parag never stopped challenging himself personally.
In 2007, he competed in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, finishing fourth in the wheelchair event by covering 3.5 km in 22 minutes. He has walked the 100-km stretch from Ahmedabad to Dakor 22 times, proving his endurance. A talented painter and chess champion, he embodies the belief that “disability is not in the body but in the mindset of those who refuse to see our strength.”
His personal life is as inspiring as his public one. In 2006, Parag married Nita, who lost the ability to walk in the devastating 2001 earthquake. Together, they found love, strength, and shared purpose. Today, Nita works alongside him in social service. Reflecting on his journey, Parag says, “Every fall I took was a lesson. Every scar I carry is proof that I chose to rise again.”
His life is proof that even when the world builds walls, a determined mind can break them all.