
KOCHI: His journey has been anything but easy. Life challenged him at every step, throwing seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his way. Born with multiple physical challenges, he has undergone 16 major surgeries, including a kidney transplant, all by the age of 24. However, these hardships prepared him to conquer greater heights.
Defying the odds, Syam Kumar S S became the youngest person in the world to complete a solo skydive from an altitude of 13,000ft and a certified paragliding pilot with a prosthetic leg — both achievements recognised by the International Book of Records.
“I was born with complex medical conditions — three malformed kidneys, an underdeveloped right leg, and a spinal tumour,” says the 24-year-old, who hails from Kulathummal village in Thiruvananthapuram.
“My first surgery was when I was just 19 days old, for an enlarged right kidney. By age eight, my right leg was amputated. I now walk with a prosthetic limb. In my school life, I faced constant taunts and had to use a catheter due to a small bladder. In high school, my kidney function dropped to just 25 per cent, and many other problems came along,”
Speaking of his fightback, Syam says he is no superhuman, but an ordinary man who has been enduring a lot of pain -- physcial and mental. “I have felt exhausted with life many times. But at a certain point, I realised that everything in my life was permanent; nothing would change,” he recalls.
“Each passing day only brought more complications. At that point, I had two options: either seek escape through drugs or suicide, or push myself forward. I chose the latter. I chose to live.”
Syam started off with activities like clay modelling, swimming, cycling, and adventure sports. “I did not want to remain trapped in the cycle of home, hospitals, and school,” he says.
Cycling, he recalls, helped him improve his health. It soon became his passion. He incorporated push-ups and other strength exercises into his daily routine. “Once, I cycled about 1,000km in just six days, despite suffering from severe kidney issues at that time. Later, I took up mountaineering as well,” he smiles.
In 2022, Syam underwent a life-saving kidney transplant. “My mother donated one of her kidneys. The transplant itself came with many complications. But by then, I had been through so much that everything felt numb. I was ready for anything,” he says.
Syam’s passion for adventure and the drive to “make the most of life” kept fuelling him to take up new challenges. Next, he wanted to go skydiving. “Just three months after the transplant, I decided to do a solo jump. As it is said, strong desires give people the energy to move forward,” he says.
“Skydiving made me push my limits. I used money from a crowdfunding campaign to pursue this high-risk jump.”
Syam reached out to several national and international skydiving platforms for an opportunity. Eventually, Skydive Thailand responded positively. He travelled to Thailand and did six solo jumps, learning how to free-fall with a prosthetic limb. He also trained in a wind tunnel.
“There are not many skydiving schools in India that offer training programmes for solo skydivers, and the rules are complicated. That’s why I had to go to Thailand,” he says.
Upon returning to India, Syam achieved further milestones, becoming a certified paragliding pilot after completing his training at Bir Billing in Himachal Pradesh, the second-highest paragliding point in the world.
Notably, Syam is also skilled in drone flying and videography, which he has taken up for a means of income. “My father is a daily wager, and my mother, who was once a school art teacher, left her job to take care of me. While I have had immense emotional support from my family, finance has been a challenge,” he says.
“From a young age, I began looking for ways to earn money through whatever small tasks I could do. With that and the disability pension, I managed to save some money and bought a bicycle first. After my transplant, I bought a camera and began my career in videography and editing. Now, I have a steady income, but a big portion goes toward medicines and hospital bills.”
The constraints, however, have not hampered his quest for exploring life. “I recently started learning skateboarding and kalaripayattu,” he gushes.
Syam rues that society continues to view successful people with disabilities with sympathy, rather than approaching or supporting them as a person with skills or achievers.
“The way we are treated is different. We are often inspirational material instead of being seen as athletes. My desire is for society to recognise us as skilled individuals, not just as objects of pity,” he says.
What next?
Syam’s dream is to earn an A-to-D skydiving licence, set a world record with a 45,000ft jump, and become a wingsuit flyer. “For this mission, I would need about Rs 2.5 crore. I wish I had some support from the government.”
Syam says he is certain that no matter what obstacles come my way, persistence and determination are the keys to achieving any dream.
“The greatest power lies in not giving up. I believe every person has potential within themselves, but it’s the lack of confidence and faith that holds many back from conquering their dreams. I will be elated if my story inspires at least one suffering soul out there to break free of self-imposed shackles.”