Journalism of Courage
“Age is just a number for cycling,” said 65-year-old Sanjay Katti, the leader of the four-member team who pedalled all the way from the westernmost point of India-Koteshwar in Gujarat on the Indo-Pak border to the easternmost point at Kibithoo in Arunachal Pradesh.
In 36 days, the Pune-based ‘young seniors’, most of whom in their sixties, covered a distance of 3,930 km to reach the Indo-Tibetan Border on December 14.
Katti was accompanied by Pradip Bhavalkar, 67, Devdatta Tembhekar, 62, and Monish Chakraborty, 51, in the arduous ‘W2E’ (West to East) cycle expedition that passed through eight states – Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The trans-India cycle ride was flagged off from Koteshwar on November 9. After the successful completion of the journey, the team returned to Pune a few days ago.
“It was a test of meticulous and detailed planning. We were riding an average distance of 110 km per day,” said Katti recalling the long ride.
Explaining further, Chakraborty said, “It was an experience to know our Incredible India. We got a window into different states, weather, terrain, people, food, and culture. We saw various monuments, mountains, rivers, cultivation, and the mindset of people of eight states.”
For Tembhekar the expedition was a unique lifetime experience. “We were pleasantly surprised and taken back with the love and affection en route. The people were extremely helpful and welcoming. It was like a booster dose to keep pedaling,” he said.
The cyclists, during the journey through the harsh hilly terrains from Assam to Arunachal Pradesh, received help from Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) schools, the Army, and Arunachal Pradesh government who took care of the night stay. “We just couldn’t have pedalled an inch without their incredible support,” said Katti.
