26-year-old Ashis Kumar, is set to hit the road with an aim to break the Guinness World Record in the category of ‘Longest Journey by bicycle in a single country (Individual)’.
Bengaluru :
Come June and Bengaluru-based cyclist Ashis Kumar is set to hit the road. The 26-year-old is working with a single-minded focus to break the Guinness World Record, currently held by Australian cyclist Benjamin Woods in the category of ‘Longest Journey by bicycle in a single country (Individual)’.
While the Australian cyclist created a record of 18,922 km in February 2018, Kumar plans to pedal over 30,000 km across the country during a two-year span to clinch the title. But he is turning to the public to raise a sum of `5 lakh (which will cover accommodation and food expenses), which will help him in his attempt to create a world record. On his journey, he will also be spreading awareness on #Rally4Rivers and MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination).
Inspired by a cyclist from Hyderabad, Nagaraj, whom he met two years ago, Kumar said, “I was motivated to cycle after hearing his travel stories and experiences.
I saved some money that I earned from my part-time job with an adventure company, as well as from organising treks for the corporate, from which I bought a basic model of MTB and started cycling,” said Kumar, who has cycled over 7,200 km on a bicycle in India so far, and even clocked 3,450 km between October 10 and November 23, 2018.
Despite a long ride coming up, Kumar says he hasn’t ridden his bike since November 2018. “For me, it’s more about mental stability than physical strength. In fact, when I used to speak to travellers, motorcyclists and cyclists, who told me that physical strength isn’t all that important, I did not agree. But when I started long rides, I realised they were right,” said Kumar, who is seeking a response from public on his email address a.ashiskumar22@gmail.com.
While he doesn’t fear wild animals as much, he worries that he might be robbed or stabbed by someone, despite not having faced any untoward incident till date. “I carry my laptops and cameras, and worry that I might get robbed or stabbed. But I don’t feel so scared when I pass by wildlife,” he said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Akhila Damodaran / Express News Service / March 27th, 2019