When life hits you hard, you hit it back real harder. This is what the life of Shanmukha Rao Dharmana, a 27 year old Para-Cyclist’s life teaches us. Lost his limb in an unfortunate accident in 2013, he lost all his hope in life. Due to multiple fractures in his foot and knee, his leg was amputated and he became a below the leg amputee. This situation was so depressing for him that it changed his perspective on life.
After a few months of this incident, he got an artificial leg and this raised whatever hope is left in him. Initially a cyclist, he returned to cycling and running with the help of his artificial limb. This filled him with hope that he still could achieve something in his life and he can still follow his dreams. With his career guide Mr. B.R. Venkatesh by his side, he started his journey all over again, this time with more determination. Eventually running and cycling became his passion and he ran his first Marathon after the accident on 24th August 2014, in Airtel Hyderabad Marathon 5KM run. Since then he hasn’t stopped achieving and till now has participated in 41 events and covered more than 5000Kms in Cycling. A major achievement has been that he finished Infinity Ride from Bangalore to Hyderabad 570 km from 12.08.2015 to 15.08.2015. Cycling and Running gave him immense motivation and restored his faith in life.
Pain cannot be understood until you experience it firsthand. It does change you but when you believe in your strengths, it definitely changes you for good. Shanmukha Rao’s life inspires us to never lose hope on life and hurdles are there to be surpassed. His life story shows us how pain creates a stronger version of a person. His gratitude towards the people who stood by his side in need shows us how modest a person becomes after a certain struggle.
