The adage ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’ aptly describes the spirit of five differently-abled bikers who have embarked on a 15-day road trip from Mumbai to Leh to raise funds for families in Leh who lost their homes to a cloud burst last year.
The group which started its journey on July 31 reached Jaipur on Wednesday where they were greeted by a huge crowd. The bikers plan to reach their destination Leh on August 15.
Group leader Vinod Rawat (37) who lost his leg at the age of six said, “I was barely six when I lost my leg. Like others, I had initially thought that my life has hit a dead end. Till the age of 24, I was walking with crutches, but after switching over to Jaipur foot, I learnt to drive bike and since then never looked back.”
Rawat who has also participated in the popular show ‘Roadies’ said the group’s aim is to change the perception people have towards the disabled. “We just want to erase the term disabled from people’s mind,” he said.
Rawat’s will to fight and survive impressed his wife Dyna the most. “It was enough reason for me to marry him,” she told ToI over phone. Dyna works with NGO Habitat India which aims to provide houses to five affected families in Leh.
The group comprises Manoj Mehta (33) who walks on artificial limbs, Santosh Dhoomal (30) who is polio affected, Rohan Thakur(29) and Yasir (28) also with artificial limbs. “After covering around 2,000 km, we would also write to the Limca Book of Records,” said a beaming Rawat.
Fellow biker Mehta added, “During our road trips across the country, we try to meet people who too are physically challenged. We just tell them that nothing is impossible if you are determined enough to achieve what you want.”
Another group member Santosh was just two-years-old when he was diagnosed with polio on his left leg. “Our aim is to dispel all the stereotyped notions one associates with the differently abled people,” he said.