Puttur’s Nayak breaks 2 more records

MANGALORE: He has an IQ of 22 as against normal the IQ of adults that ranges from 90-110. At 41, his mental age is that of a four-year-old. Yet all this has not hindered Suresh Nayak of Puttur from owning five records.
Not just this, Suresh, who takes Down Syndrome in his stride, has now added two more World records to his name, for being the first Down Syndrome magician to perform maximum magic shows.
These records feature in the latest edition of Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. If this personal achievement is not enough, Satvik Nayak, Suresh’s nephew, aged five has also joined his uncle in being a record maker by becoming the youngest magician to perform most magic shows for a noble cause in both above mentioned record books.
Satvik is the son of Suresh’s younger brother, Umesh Nayak and Roopasri.
Sharing Suresh’s and Satvik’s achievement, Umesh said the uncle-nephew duo are trail blazers in their own way and carry a message in their magic shows. “Their act carries a message,” he said, adding that they also hold private performances – free of cost – for physically-challenged people. In public, they visit educational institutions and perform there, spreading awareness about the disease.
Elaborating further on Suresh’s performace, Umesh said, “He is adept at performing the more challenging floating levitation magic as well as the illusion magic, which only seasoned magicians do.”
So far, the two have performed at more than 100 shows in schools, special schools, old age homes across the state. Each show lasts for around 60 to 90 minutes depending on the audience, he said.
Incidentally, Suresh’s zest saw CM Siddaramaiah inaugurate the Down Syndrome Awareness campaign on October 28 last, where Suresh also imparted a few magic lessons to the latter. Even former Lokayukta, Santosh Hegde, is Suresh’s student of magic, Umesh said.
The campaign has resulted in a special school at Puttur named ROTAJC Down Syndrome Academy being set up, where presently eight children with the same condition are being trained.