THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Pradeep Kumar, a 30-year-old lad from Indore, has never let his physical handicap put him down. In fact, the incident has only made him stronger. In spite of having lost most of his left foot in a train accident, the young man is now pedalling his way across states for the past few days in an attempt to create a record.Having completed approximately 3,770 kilometres already, Pradeep, who has applied for the golden book of world records, aims at completing 15,000 kilometres. Starting his journey from his hometown on November 14th , he has already covered six states. He says, “Once you cross 10,000 within the country, it is already a record. But if I still have the energy, I hope to cross it.”
The cycling enthusiast, who is also a theatre performer, feels that one should never lose hope no matter what the situation is. Giving an example from his own life, Pradeep recalls the fateful train accident which happened a few years ago. He says, “As I was feeling thirsty, I got up from my seat in the train and went close to the door to get down as the train slowed down. But then there was a jerk, after which I fell off the train and my left leg got runover by the train.”
While much of his left leg was amputated and multiple surgeries done to save him and stop any infections from occurring, Pradeep never lost hope. Says the 30-year-old, “After the accident in August, I was able to come home by October and by December, I started using the artificial limb and soon took part in a 5 kilometre run in Indore. I also did a two-day-long cycle ride from Indore to Bhopal, covering 100 kilometres per day, with a partially blind cyclist, as a trial ride for the record attempt. Having even practised for a dance reality show once, he is also an artist and have acted in a few short films.
However, the goal of his mission is not just creating a record. Pradeep has been visiting schools and othe general public, as part of his efforts to create awareness on ‘Clean India’ and ‘Healthy India’, ‘Grean India’ and road safety . Pradeep also met the city mayor for the same before leaving for Kanyakumari on Friday. Elaborating on his talks on healthy India, he points out the importance of giving yourselves atleast an hour for the same. He adds, “Just one hour of cycling helps keep one fit.”