JOIN USCyclist with handicap riding from Thrissur to Ladakh
Mohammad Ashraf, on a cycling expedition from his native Thrissur to Ladakh, was in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old, an engineer, met with an accident in 2017 and was severely injured. He was treated at three hospitals and underwent several surgeries, but his right leg was damaged beyond repair. Ashraf wouldn’t let that stop him. He is now in the middle of a tough cycling expedition covering 35,000 km.
“I am in extreme pain. If I do this at my worst point, I can achieve anything after I get a better life,” he says.
Ashraf has cycled to many of south India’s hills and peaks over the past year and a half. “People help me along the way. I have made a lot of friends while riding. My cycle and luggage are my only companions,” he says.
The odds are formidable. He can only use his left leg while riding, as his right foot has no bone.
“I can’t walk without the help of a walking stick. The problem is the pain, and I take painkillers. I have to wrap my right leg with a plastic bag while riding in cold areas, as the cold is dangerous for what remains of my leg,” he says.
Ashraf wants to have his right leg completely amputated once the trip is done. “I want to participate in para-cycling, that’s my ambition. My doctor has told me that I am disabled and can compete in para-cycling. In Kerala, there is no para-cycling, so I’m planning to try it in other states,” he says.
Many ask him to reveal the secret of his success. “There is no secret. It is just a combination of hard work and determination,” he signs off.