Paraplegic man aims Leh to Kanniyakumari road trip

The 28-year-old who is paralysed from chest below aims to set a new record by completing the 4,000-km road trip from one tip of the country to another in a record time. Delhi-based Paul, who works with the Taj group of hotels, plans to promote the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ (Clean India Mission) during his mammoth road journey, raising awareness on the flagship scheme of the Centre. 

“I am paraplegic (paralysed below the chest) and confined to the wheelchair since February 2012, due to an accident. This dreadful incident pulled me down physically and mentally for around two years but I kept my spirits high and decided to move ahead in life to achieve my goals and be a motivation to thousands of people who are going through the same phase of life,” says Eric. 

“Last winter I completed the Golden Quadrilateral road task of the Limca Book of Records. I drove from Delhi to Kolkata and was able to cover Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai in between. After reaching Kolkata I drove all the back to the national capital from where I started my 6,000 km trip. 

It took me less than seven days, including night stays at various places, to complete the entire journey to set the record,” said Eric, who used a customised hatchback car with hand controls for the record-setting trip. 

Paul says he had been nurturing a passion for driving since childhood but a single accident changed his life leaving him bed-ridden and depressed for nearly two years. “Eventually with the support of my family and physiotherapist, I gathered my bearings and tried to move on. I approached my employers, for work and they were kind enough to shift me on to the desk,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Eric’s physiotherapist turned friend Pradeep Kumar who works at Kivani’s, an artificial limb centre in the city, exhorted him to explore his passion for driving. “Now, I am again positively charged and will be attempting the Limca Book of Records (LBR), under the category of adventure road expeditions, where I would be driving Leh to Kanniyakumari. 

It will be about 4,000 km journey,” says Paul, who is now scouting for sponsors to fund the journey. “This stretch almost covers 4,000 km and I have to travel from Delhi to Leh to begin my attempt and end it at Kanniyakumari. Then again I would be driving from Kanniyakumari to Delhi to come to my residence. Thus, the total journey would be around of 8,000 km.” 

“This journey requires a 4x4 car with automatic transmission, as this route is full of challenges and has almost 1,000 km of hilly route. Since I don’t have this type of car, I will try to get a similar car on rent or else I would be driving my own Maruti Swift,” he says, adding the tentative cost for the entire trip will be around Rs 5.70 lakh for the journey he plans to begin in the first week of June.