Bengaluru: Cyclists going on long expeditions may be rare but not something unheard of. However, what makes Pradeep Kumar Miradwal’s all India journey on a bicycle different is he is doing it despite losing his left leg in a train mishap. Fitted with an artificial leg, this 30-year-old from Ram Lakshman Bazaar in Indore has covered 2,650 km. Starting from Indore on November 14 last year, he reached Hiriyur in Chitradurga district of Karnataka on January 10.
His cycling trek is to send across a slew of messages- Swachch Bharat- Swasth Bharat, environment conservation, road safety and above all, welfare of the differently abled. Mr Mirdwal has set a target to cover 29 states in six months and conclude his journey at Indore. His bicycle does not have a carrier. Hence he has to travel with a 39 kg backpack.
Mr Miradwal says he lost his left leg in a train accident in August 2013. While travelling in a jampacked train from Indore to Ujjain, somebody shoved him and he was thrown out.
Somehow I survived miraculously minus my left leg.
He was operated upon at a hospital in Indore and he remained there till October. By November, his injuries healed and in December he set his goals. He got the artificial leg in December and he was “up and running.”
I took part in the Smart City Indore Marathon, performed in the ‘Dance Indore Dance’ and now I am on this all India tour.
Once he completes the journey, the Firefox company, which gifted him the bicycle, has decided to appoint him as its brand ambassador.
Wherever Mr Miradwal travels, he catches everybody’s attention due to his resolve and help comes pouring in.
The whole country is helping me financially. Besides whatever I have with me, there are people who donate money because they know that this is not just my expedition.
The major objective is to send across a strong message to the differently abled that cribbing about the disability is not a solution but to finding new ways and standing up facing all odds will alone help them, he added.
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