The 10th edition of the Vadodara International Marathon will be held on 8th January. The run will flag off by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday. The Minister of Home, Sports, Cultural, and Youth Affairs Harsh Sanghavi will also join in the flag off.
For the first time the race route will be passing through an old city which carries the rich legacy of architectural and cultural gems. The race will also be special as 20 ‘Prosthetic leg’ runners will be running in the edition and be an inspiration for participants and people.
One of the great inspirations is Kunal Fadnis, who lost both of his legs in a freak railway accident in 2000 while commuting between Vadodara and Anand for his studies. But he never loses hope and gradually walks, runs, and challenges himself to overcome all the disappointments in his life. He began marathon running and has been involved with the Vadodara Marathon since its inception. He is now ready to compete in the 10th edition and to inspire the other runners.
Like him Manish Maru, Sunil Aggrawal, Mitesh Dande, Iqbal Mansuri, Raju Vaghela, Brijesh Thakkar, all residents of Vadodara and marathon runners will be running with ‘prosthetic legs’ in Divyang Paralympic Run. If the Vadodara Marathon has become the identity of Vadodara, then the “Divyang Paralympic Run” has become the hallmark of the Vadodara Marathon.
Some have joined by self-motivation, inspiration, others inspired by the call of “Fit India” by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Some have come with the noble intention of inspiring society through their own example, while others have come to actively cooperate – to be a part of this collective event to improve body-mind fitness.
The “Divyang Paralympic Run” of the Vadodara Marathon is a category close to Chairperson Tejal Amin’s heart. She claims that despite permanently losing their legs, all of these runners have maintained their courage and resilience. Instead of sitting in despair, they have chosen to be physically and mentally active. They are all an inspiration to all of us, and we should all come together and support one another.
