As the saying goes - all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It takes more than just their work for successful people to keep at it. The need to take time off from their job shows in their end product. For some, it could be an evening walk, gardening, painting, cooking or meditation.
But, meet Abhishek Reddy Kankanala, the man who wears many hats - that of owning/co-owning a volleyball, golf and badminton team, and heads a couple of start-ups in the city. For him, work and recess require the same amount of zeal and enthusiasm.
Abhishek's hobbies range from downhill mountain biking and off-roading to surfing, skydiving and snowboarding. "I have far too many likes and very few dislikes. I am equally happy in a city or the countryside, I can never decide between the mountains and the ocean," he says.
"I once snowboarded in Lake Tahoe in California in the morning and made it back for windsurfing by late afternoon. I ride a cycle with the same enthusiasm as I drive a Porsche. I equally love golf, which is a slow-paced sport. I enjoy nature and the company of friends too. So, maybe I just do not look for ways to relax, I feel I’m always winding down, doing the things I love throughout the day," says an energetic Abhishek.
He thrives in chaos -- anything mundane becomes his source of stress. He even tries to take a different route on his way to work and back home just to keep things new and interesting. Father to a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter, Abhishek takes off on family trips regularly and has spent the past year engaging his kids in such adventures.
"We were stuck in Wayanad during the second lockdown, but we figured our way out through the greens and roads that were never even on the map. I wanted my children to see that they cannot be limited by just how much technology helps them. It is still a task to keep them away from the screens, but they seem to love all of it. We fall, laugh and wear our injuries like battle scars. My wife and I camped throughout the world and are on a mission to do the same with our kids," he says.
A certified diver, the 42-year-old concludes by saying he wants to take to the skies next and will soon train to get a pilot's license.