Meet the accident survivor who runs marathons and summits mountains

Losing a leg in a train accident in 2015 has not deterred Uday Kumar from taking part in marathons, summitting mountains, skydiving, and even scuba diving

A 35-year-old professional who lost a leg in a train mishap is set to run his 77th marathon in the upcoming JBG Kolkata World 10k running event on Sunday (November 24, 2024). Uday Kumar will participate in the marathon after summitting Mount Kilimanjaro in August this year.

“I was returning to Kolkata from my hometown in Bihar by train,” Mr. Kumar told The Hindu, recalling the fateful events of October 29, 2015. “I was at the washbasin when the train suddenly jerked. I fell off the train, and my left leg got crushed under the wheels.”

At the time of the accident, Mr. Kumar worked in a private firm in Kolkata. “Before my accident, I did not know what a marathon was, nor had I climbed a mountain,” he says. “I spent nearly two months in a hospital after the accident and was bed-ridden for another six months after that.”

He recalls that while he was in convalescence, he was already married and had children. Being stuck in bed during this period led him into a state of depression. “My mother got a heart attack stressing over me, and my wife and kids were burdened with my care,” Mr. Kumar said.

Mr. Kumar adds that he once slipped and fell on his son, breaking the boy’s arm. After this he spiralled down further and, driven by a feeling of helplessness and guilt, came close to taking his own life. 

“My son motivated me to keep going, so I decided not to quit on myself. I started going on short walks, initially with help. Doctors had installed a prosthetic leg then, but I removed it in 2022,” Mr. Kumar said. 

In 2018, Mr. Kumar decided to participate in a five kilometre running event in Kolkata, having found out about marathons for the first time from his colleague. “People warned me that I might injure myself, or that I might get pushed by other runners during the event. I participated and finished the run nonetheless, with the help of my elbow crutch and prosthetic leg,” he said.

Since then, Mr. Kumar participated in 76 marathons, finishing 21 kilometres in some of them. In August 2024, he accomplished a historic feat, climbing nearly 19,341 feet to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro with one leg and crutches that struggled against volcanic ash. 

“I was part of a six-member team from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. We summited Mount Kilimanjaro, skydived over Tanzania, and scuba-dived near the Zanzibar archipelago in August this year,” Mr. Kumar said.

He added that his mountaineering journey had begun in 2022 under the guidance of a coach, who helped him climb Sandakphu, a mountain peak on the Singalila ridge along the India-Nepal border in West Bengal. 

“Then in March 2023,  I climbed over 16,000 ft to Mount Rhenock in Kanchenjunga National Park in Sikkim,” he said.

Currently, Mr. Kumar is preparing for his next two goals — to run his 77th marathon in the JBG Kolkata World 10k in Kolkata on Sunday, and to scale Mount Everest in the near future. 

“I undergo innumerable challenges as a person with a disability while I am partaking in such activities. I hope my story can inspire people to do things which they are scared of doing,” Mr. Kumar said. 

Published - November 21, 2024 07:26 pm IST