HYDERABAD: Where there is a will, there is a way. A 35 -year-old man, Mohammad Ashraf, a native of Thrissur in Kerala, is all set to complete a cycling expedition of 3,700 km to Ladakh. Ashraf, who hit the road on July 15, reached Hyderabad on Sunday night and will be leaving for Nagpur on Tuesday.
Having met with an accident in 2017, he was left severely injured with his right leg paralysed. However, Ashraf wouldn’t let that stop him. “My disability is my ability and I want to show the world that nothing is impossible,” he said.
The cyclist worked as a computer engineer in Dubai years ago before losing his job. “In 2017, I met with a bike accident. It took nine surgeries and years in hospital to recover. I can use only one leg to pedal and only a few fingers of my right hand, but that is no deterrent to my journey.”
Ashraf took to cycling in April last year to beat depression and soon fell in love with it and the mountains. His aim now is to reach Khardung La, one of the highest motorable passes in the world at an altitude of 17,582 feet.
“I realised after my accident that I could either spend my life in bed or fight it out. It is all in the mind and I decided to spread the word, ‘Nothing is impossible’.”
Crossing 11 states, Ashraf plans to cycle 100-150km a day to complete his journey on time.
“I have a foldable tent and a sleeping bag for night stay at petrol pumps. I have been getting a lot of support in my solo ride. I have traveled 1,000 km from Thrissur to Hyderabad via Bengaluru. People have made arrangements for night stay with food, cycle gear, and even cash contributions. In Hyderabad, I am staying at my friend’s place in Rajendernagar,” he said.
Asked why he doesn’t opt for a prosthetic leg, he said, “I have exhausted family savings in my three years of hospitalisation and once I’m back after this expedition, I will raise money for my surgeries and prosthetic leg.”
Article Credit: timesofindia.indiatimes
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