Kerala’s roadie on way to Ladakh stops by city
Surgeries afer accidents have not deterred Ashraf
If the will is strong, nothing can stop a person from achieving his goal. A man from Kerala, who started his journey from Thrissur on a bicycle to the north of India, to Ladakh, talked about overcoming debilitating physical trauma of pedalling all the way from the south to the north, as he took a break in the city for a day before continuing his epic road trip.
For 35-year-old Muhammad Ashraf, taking up adventurous or even sometimes hazardous feats is nothing new. “I worked as a motorcycle stuntman but never suffered any injuries while doing that. But in 2017, I met with an accident in Thrissur while on the road and everything changed,” he told this newspaper, as he soaked in the sights and sounds around Charminar on Tuesday.
Nine surgeries followed the accident, and Ashraf says he spent more than three years in the hospital. “The doctors nearly gave up hope. My right leg was paralysed, I had broken bones including two vertebrae,” he said. “That is when I decided,” he added, “I can either stay as a vegetable or fight it out with will, stand and walk again.”
Looking around Charminar, Ashraf said he was enchanted with the colourful shops in the Old City. Saying that he has been sticking to a simple diet on the journey, Ashraf admitted that he could not resist digging into some Hyderabadi Biryani.
He said he was twice infected with Covid-19, and experiences severe pain in his right leg round-the-clock, and can
use only his left leg for pedalling his bicycle. “But I will get there, to Ladakh,” he said.
Ashraf started his journey on July 16 from his hometown, and each day, covers between 120 and
150 kilometres. “I like Tom Cruise’s movies, I always liked travelling. I like to stay away from the crowds. My son is 18month-old, I love spending time with him,” he said.
On his being able to pedal with one leg and
the pain in his right leg, Ashraf said while in the hospital, he had to take a lot of painkillers that eventually damaged the functioning of his liver. “So, I said no more pain killer medications. I ride as far as I feel like every day. The biggest challenge is actually not on the road but with toilets. I cannot squat and there are so few toilets with commodes that are available that a person like me can use,” he said.
He said he tooled up
cycling last April. “I want to get to the Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road. That is my goal,” he said.
To complete this task, he needs to cross eleven states, and strapped to his bicycle are a foldable tent and a sleeping bag. He said he mostly slept at petrol pumps or roadside dhabas. “I want to spread awareness that nothing is impossible in life, a strong mind can overcome any physical disability,” he said.