No vision, but goal in sight

"My eyesight was perfect until the age of 13, when due to macular degeneration, I started losing vision. Despite several treatments, there wasn't any improvement and by the age of 40, I had completely lost my vision. I accepted this as fate but felt that there was more to life, not knowing what. Then when the first Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was conducted in February 2004, I enquired about it because I didn't know what a marathon meant. That was the first time ever that I ran—the 7km dream run, which I competed with the help of an escort. For around 200 metres, my escort was veteran cricketer Kapil Dev, who left me inspired by saying: "You have started running, please do continue this sport." It is a memory I often reminisce about.

I thought of running another race, and so in the same year, I attempted another marathon; this was a 12.5km run with a new escort. This boosted my motivation and I started pursuing it on a serious note. I started running half marathons (21km) consistently after that. Another moment that is embedded in my memory is when I was felicitated by Sachin Tendulkar after finishing the Vasai Virar half marathon. So far, I have participated in half marathons in Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Daman, Delhi, Surat, Nashik, Pune, Satara, Goa, Mangalore and Bengaluru. The one I ran in Powai last week was my 61st half marathon.

An escort is extremely important since he serves as my navigator. It is therefore extremely vital that I run in tandem with him. Since 2004, I have ran with 22 different escorts and have had varied experiences. There have been instances when my escort has called me a day before the race to say that he won't be able to make it. So in spite of the little practice at home and the excitement for the run, I have had to skip marathons. Another hurdle that I sometimes face is the cost of escort registrations. Initially, I used to bear the cost of their registration fees, but it is financially unviable for me as I have a family to look after.

It would be ideal if I have same person as an escort in all the races, but that is not always possible. Rahul Brahme, a conductor with Mumbai's BEST buses, has been escorting me during most half marathons since 2013. He warns me if there is a speed breaker coming up or if the road is uneven. His support has enabled me to finish the run in good time, and we have forged a bond together.

Yet, this journey of running half marathons has not been easy. What usually happens is that since there are so many runners on the circuit, invariably people brush past me, or I crash into someone in front or sometimes trip and fall. This happened in a race in Bengaluru, where I fell due to the bad road and injured both my knees. But I was unwilling to quit and many people were cheering for me. I managed to finish the race with great difficulty, but the happiness of finishing is something I will never forget.

I hope to finish every marathon I participate in. Though my best timing for a half marathon was 1.42 hours (2005), for me, finishing the race is more important. I put all my faith in the Almighty, and before each race pray to him. I hope to complete 101 half marathons in the next three years, and hope to register my name in the Limca Book of World Records. I practise pranayama regularly and do free hand exercises and spot jogging. Since I can't practise before the marathon due to unavailability of an escort, I increase the intensity of my workout at home a few days before the marathons. This is how I prepare me for the race. I still have a long way to go to set a record but I am trying my best.

— As told to Pooja Patel

(Amarjeet Singh Chawla sells insurance policies and lotteries for a living. He resides in Mumbai's Kandivli suburb.)