Aiming to cover a distance of nearly 4,000 km in less than 30 days, Gagan Khosla is on a cycling expedition from Leh to Kanyakumari. The entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist has already reached the Capital, completing the first leg of the tour that started on September 21.
Although they expected the mountainous route from Leh to Chandigarh to be the most challenging, Mr. Khosla and his team said the 35 km from Chandigarh to Delhi proved to be the most difficult due to the condition of the roads. After travelling on some of the highest motorable mountain passes in the world, he will cross 13 States on the way to Kanyakumari.
“I experienced oxygen deficiency and hypothermia at higher altitudes, but I refused to let minor obstacles hold me back,” he said.
Mr. Khosla undertook the journey to spread awareness about malnutrition and gluten-related disorders. Moreover, he added, the goal of the tour was also to spread awareness among older people who think life ends at 50.
“They [the older people] must take care of their bodies,” he said, adding that this tour is an early 60th birthday gift to himself.”
On what made him take up adventure cycling, his wife Ishi Khosla said it is the basic mindset of an entrepreneur that helped him take up this initiative, since being an entrepreneur also demands taking risks.
Ms. Khosla, who is a nutritionist and the founder of Celiac Society for Delhi, has sponsored her husband’s tour. Her profession inspired Mr. Khosla to spread awareness about gluten-free diet and gluten-related disorders. Ms. Khosla will be accompanying him to Agra in the back-up car.
Mr. Khosla’s friend Devendra Bhatnagar said: “Sixty is neither too old nor too young to take up this initiative. It is the age by which a person gains enough experience in life and develops the mental strength that helps him or her take up challenges.”
He added that his friend wanted to climb Mount Everest, but since the nature of that journey is very hazardous, he decided on this cycling expedition instead.
( The writer is an intern with The Hindu )
