Visually impaired Divyanshu pedals his way from Manali to Khardung La

PUNE: Pune's Divyanshu Ganatra has literally pedalled his way to prove that strong willpower can do wonders.
Visually impaired Divyanshu has never allowed his limitations get in the way of his dreams.
He recently became perhaps India's first visually challenged person to successfully complete the tandem bicycle expedition on the complex terrain from Manali to Khardung La.
This journey was a part of an ongoing annual expedition organized by Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF) in association with Starkenn Sports.
Divyanshu partnered with Pune's software professional Gagan Grover to complete the 550km expedition in only eight days.
Taiwanese cycle company Giant Starkenn helped Divyanshu by providing technical support and required equipment for the expedition. The main objective of the journey was to introduce tandem cycling as a sport, considering it is not as well known in India.
Divyanshu, a follower of Nelson Mandela, was excited after finishing the journey. In his idol's words, he said, "Sports has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite people from different walks of life."
"My agenda behind this journey was to break the stereotype that disabled people are incapable of participating in sports. Another reason to undertake this journey was to create awareness about this sport in India," he added.
Pravin Patil, MD & CEO of Starkenn Sports said, "I am thrilled to see Divyanshu's achievement against the odds that he has faced and the incredible stories he has to share. We are delighted that there has been so much interest in the sport. We have always extended our support to athletes with disability and want to see them making it big on international platforms like Paralympics."