KOCHI: He is perhaps Kerala Police’s sole professional bike rider. And he is busy gearing up for the Indian National Rally Championship set to be held in December in Goa. But that’s not what makes Jeemon Antony, 40, stand apart. It is the two titanium rods that stabilise his spine, helping the police driver at the Edappally traffic station in Kochi stand on his feet.
Jeemon donned the racing suit first at the age of 18. “There was a rider in our locality named Biju John,” he recalls. “Wearing the racing suit, he once vroomed past me on his Yamaha RX 135. That image, that moment struck me. I was curious and went to watch his practice sessions. This became a routine and, gradually, I took up motorsport seriously.”
Despite financial struggles, passion fuelled his exploits in motorsports circuits. Year 2000 to 2007 was Jeemon’s golden period. He had podium finishes in 35 of 40 bike races. Lack of funding, however, forced him to set aside his professional racing dreams. “The gear itself costs about Rs 5 lakh, and then the cost of vehicle maintenance,” says Jeemon.
After some years, Jeemon went on a ride to the Ladakh-Khardungla pass. After returning home, he bought a Royal Enfield Himalayan so as to yet again hit the Ladakhi terrain. “In 2018, I heard about an off-road bike rally in Wayanad. It was for Himalayan riders. I gave it a shot, and came second. Soon I started participating in 550cc rallies,” he says. In 2020, however, his ‘rider life’ came to a screeching halt. Jeemon had to undergo two surgeries to treat a bulge on his disc. He was left bedridden.
It started with a nagging backache, which Jeemon had kept ignoring. “Once while on duty, I experienced sharp pain in my thighs. It became worse that the next day; I could not even plant my feet on the ground,” he recalls.
“Subsequently, I underwent a keyhole surgery, but it only led to complications. I was bedridden for a month. With further treatment, I could stand up, but it took me five minutes to keep a step forward.” Then, Jeemon underwent an open surgery, and doctors re-enforced his spine with titanium rods. “Doctors advised minimal movement. They feared I would not be able to lift even a bucket of water,” he says. “That meant putting an end to my passion — riding.” Jeemon, who was a national-level footballer as well, would not give up. He took up exercise regimens, and gradually rose back to “full power”.
“With workouts, Jeemon shed 22 kilos. “I didn’t take any expert’s opinion. I took a big risk. I would advise people against doing the same,” he says. Within a year, Jeemon was back at what he loves the most. He took part in the Himalayan Rally 2021, and came in fifth position.
Jeemon’s next dream is the Indian National Rally Championship. “It will probably be my last,” he says. “My department is supportive, but I am thinking of bidding goodbye due to the lack of financial backing.”