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Bengaluru: The city's pothole riddled roads may pose a challenge to even the young and the fit. But that certainly was no deterrent to nearly 700 people with disabilites (PwD), who hit the road with gusto for ‘ Champions With Disability ', a segment of Sunday's TCS10K run here Sunday. For many PwDs, participation became an opportunity to claim the public space, build confidence, and connect with a wider community.
You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Among the many cheering at the finishing line was 17-year-old Tanmay Machani, waiting for his little sister, Adithi, a 13-year-old with Down syndrome. Tired in the warm summer morning, Adithi was still catching her breath after the 3K run, when Tanmay proudly spoke about his sibling's feats: "She has been swimming since she was four years old, loves dancing, and walks and goes around on her push scooter. That has built her stamina over the years until the run today.
We knew she loved swimming by the sheer joy on her face, and we knew she walks for long, so for a week and a half, we practised, and she got on with the marathon." Anapoorna K, 45, from Kumaraswamy Layout, Bengaluru, who completed the 3K on an electric wheelchair, said, "I have been coming for TCS run for three years now. They had changed the route this time and it was a challenge.
It gave me a sense of accomplishment when I crossed the finish line." Volunteers from NGO proVISION Asia were seen assisting the PwDs in completing the run by providing refreshments and giving a nudge to the wheelchairs, when the participants appeared tired. Jean Kingery, co-founder of proVISION Asia, said: "We have been doing this for the past 17 years.
Pushing people around in wheelchairs isn't just an act of service; it is also an act that helps them realise their sense of self and gives them the help required to finish the 3K." Inset (optional) One-leg Uday, as Uday Kumar, 35, is popularly called, charted his own path and defined his journey. On Sunday, he completed his 82nd marathon on one leg and a pair of crutches in the open 10K category.
Uday's life turned around when he lost his left leg in a train accident in 2015. "I started questioning myself and became really demotivated. It was just one day in 2017 when I decided to start taking charge of my life, changing my lifestyle.
I started jogging with small running communities in Kolkata. Since then, I have never looked back. I have run multiple marathons across the country," said the Kolkata resident and a Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awardee, the highest honour in Indian adventure sport.
- Deepshikha Acharya.
