With a desire to be judged and treated equal in society, Shekar Goud, a CCTV in-charge at Lemon Tree hotels in Hyderabad and also a para-athlete cycle champion is close to fulfilling his first dream — to cycle from Leh in Ladakh to Kanyakumari. His second dream? “To be a part of the badminton team in Para Olympics, 2020, and represent the state and country,” he says, talking to us from Chandigarh. Shekar has already begun his cycle ride and has covered 750 km.
Shekar Goud is truly destiny’s child. Having been pronounced dead after a road accident in 2006, his ‘body’ remained unclaimed. Nine hours later, he regained consciousness only to find himself in the mortuary of a government hospital in Nalgonda, Telangana. He had been lying in the mortuary for nine hours! It was hunger pangs that made Shekar walk out of the mortuary much to the shock and surprise of the people in the hospital. “When I woke up hungry after nine hours in the mortuary, the dead bodies around me scared me. I was not sure where I was, so I walked out to everyone’s surprise,” he recalls.
“As a student of ITI, I was also working in a rice mill to help my parents financially. That fateful day, I came out of the rice mill to make a call. I was on the first floor. As I sat on the wall to make a call, the wall collapsed and as I was falling, I instinctively tried to grab something but I grabbed the high tension wires that came from a nearby transformer. After that I lost consciousness and when I recovered, I found myself in the mortuary,” recalls Shekar.
That incident and loss of precious nine hours cost him his left leg, toes of the right leg and also his right hand. “I had to learn everything from scratch including training my left hand to become my ‘right’ hand. That incident should have pushed me to depression and reduced me to becoming an additional burden to my family. But the right people, the right suggestions kept pushing me. My treatment was so expensive it cost my parents our fields and home in our village, Peepal Pahad in Nalgonda. I want to make my parents happy and eventually contribute to our finances,” says a determined Shekar.
Shekar is an example of determination and undying spirit in the face of tragedy. He completed 11 marathons and attempted 200 kms brevet cycling event and completed 169 kms in 16 hours. At present, Shekar is raising funds of Rs 4 lakh though Milaap.org to be a successful para-athlete. The tour is a flag off of The Atlanta Foundation’s (TAF), 8th edition, Republic Ride 2017 (a 100 km endurance ride). TAF identified Shekar as an ambassador of the Republic Ride for his undying spirit and love for cycling.
But all this didn’t come without any practise and struggle. In 2013 Shekar came to Hyderabad to eke out a living. Here he met Mohana Gandhi of TALBFI who helped him get his first artificial limb and also made a blade runner. “After that there was no stopping. I now play good badminton, I swim and go trekking. Right now I can manage any situation,” he says. Who does he think can prepare him for badminton in Para Olympics? “Gopichand sir. I will meet him after my Leh-Kanyakumari cycle ride to convince him that I can do what I am determined about.”
Kudos to undying spirit!
