JOIN USChandrashekhar Rajesh’s story should be a inspiration for any sportsperson. The Tiruchirapalli-based cyclist came alive after being comatose for 10 days following an horrific accident last year and is now one of India’s brightest prospects in the Asian Championships beginning here Thursday.
For Rajesh, it is very much a story of coming back from the brink as he was bed-ridden for six months. The 24-year-old narrated how the tragedy struck him in his hometown last February.
“I was training with a motorbike which was right ahead of me. My cycle’s speedometer touched 79.8 kmph and the bike rider ahead of me suddenly throttled down, causing the collision,” the soft-spoken rider said.
He spent the next 20 days in the hospital and the recovery was painfully slow, raising a serious question mark over his blossoming cycling career.
“To be honest, I did not even think about cycling while I was in the hospital bed. It is a miracle that I am back on the pedal. My family also had to go through a traumatic phase. Now I want to make this second chance count,” said the scratch-race specialist.
The Indian Railways employee showed remarkable courage to comeback and seven months after the accident, he became the first Indian to qualify for an individual event in the World Championships, by securing 10th place in Asian Cup in Iran.
As for his goals, Rajesh says: “I want to do something big for my country.”
Incidentally, Rajesh still admires Lance Armstrong in spite of the American being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and an Olympic bronze on doping charges.