New Delhi: In an awe-inspiring tale of grit and never say die attitude, a man from Delhi registered his place in the India Book of Records by cycling 750 kilometres just a year after undergoing open-heart surgery.
51-year-old Kamal Kant Sharma, a resident of Delhi's Model Town area, was honoured by the India Book of Records for cycling the 750-kilometres-long golden triangle circuit (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra-Delhi) in December 2019, a year after having open heart surgery and a mitral valve replacement.
Meet the record-breaking cyclist who didn't let heart surgery stop him Speaking to ETV Bharat, Sharma said that he always led an active lifestyle and was fond of running, cycling, and trekking. However, in June, 2018, he started sweating profusely while cycling.
"When I contacted the doctors, I came to know that my heart's valve was damaged. Rheumatic fever during childhood had led to the damage," he said.
Subsequently in July, Sharma underwent open-heart surgery, where his mitral valve was replaced with an artificial one.
"I was advised 3-4 months of bed rest. But later, my frustration levels were extremely high, as I was not used to being confined. Finally, one day, overcome by frustration, I drove to Dehradun," Sharma said.
"It was a tough trek, it was January, cold, and snow. But I easily completed the trek. I felt good, I felt I was all right and could do anything," he added.
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After getting a boost of confidence from the Dehradun trip, Sharma returned home and slowly got back to cycling, and on his first anniversary of the surgery, successfully cycled 100 kilometres.
Finally in December, Sharma achieved the unthinkable, as he cycled the golden triangle circuit.
"Today, I can easily cycle 250 kilometres in 11-12 hours. My wife, who herself is a known national-level cyclist, was my motivation. 'Never give up' - this message, I learnt from her. People usually give up after surgery, but my wife, kids and friends supported me. Where there is a will, there is a way," Sharma said.
However, the India Book of Records honour is not where Sharma stopped, as he is now preparing to get into the Guinness Book of World Records as well, by taking part in the G2G 2020 event.
He will embark on a 1,450-kilometre cycling journey through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. To get into the record book, he will have to cover the mammoth distance on six days.
Sharma will set off from Delhi's India Gate on December 19 later this year and will aim to reach the Gateway of India in Mumbai on December 24.
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