Ability Forum

[Sachin]

No peak too high, no disability too big

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The 16 km hill trek from Solang Valley to Beas Kund, where Ved Vyas is said to have written the Mahabharta in Himachal Pradesh played host to a rather unexpected group of visitors last week from a far-out town in Maharashtra.

It is fairly commonplace for a group of trekking enthusiasts to spend vacations staking claim at the 12,500 meter summit. But this time those climbing the river crossing and the rope-grappling were an assorted bunch of handicapped between 10-76 years with disabilities ranging from blindness to lameness.
Organised by Ajinkya Adventure Group based in Akola Maharashtra, the group of 45 disabled and strong-hearted trekkers took five days and months of training including yoga, swimming and climbing to scale the peak and most importantly their own handicaps.
"It was for the first time that a composite group of people with different disabilities participated in a trek such as this,"Dhananjay L Bhagat, the organiser of the group said adding, "the idea is to foster a spirit of understanding, that of team work between the group members so that each of them understand each others disability and grow to complement each other."
"When we touched the ice, it was exhilirating. We just thought to ourselves this is difficult, not impossible," Deepak, a visually challenged person says. Now, we say, "if there's something taller, we'd like to climb that as well," he adds.
"What adventures susch as these do is to increase our self confidence. During the trek, we felt that we were by no means handicapped, with adventure, we grew beyond," Rajesh Dawri, a sculpture artist from Akola and an amputee says.
The group relates stories of having "grappled across the river on ropes," crossed it on "log bridges where slight loss of balance would send you plunging into the torrential Beas river". However, no one in the group received any serious injuries.
"We regularly organise such activities like rope-climbing, rappling and river crossing in Maharashtra," instructor with the group says adding,"they just need a little support, but once they do something like this it does wonders for their personality."
Dhotre, the local Member of Parliament says,"taking people to peaks where not even all normal people go, is in itself extraordinary. From next year onwards whenever excursions such as these are organised we'll make sure that the need for funds is well taken care off."
One thing that Rukma, Sudarshan (visually and aurally challenged), Sheikh and Rajesh Dawri (physically challenged), Deepak and Monal (Visually challenged) and all others in the group agree on is that they're not about to back-down from a challenge."Get us a peak we'll climb it," they say.
As far as the group organisers, Dhananjay and others are concerned, this is just the begining of an annual event. "Maybe, one day, if we get the opportunity, we'll want to
Climb the Everest," Dhananjay says. (PTI)

source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/05oct03/national.htm

_________________
Cheers !

Sachin

No peak too high, no disability too big

NEW DELHI, Oct 2: The 16 km hill trek from Solang Valley to Beas Kund, where Ved Vyas is said to have written the Mahabharta in Himachal Pradesh played host to a rather unexpected group of visitors last week from a far-out town in Maharashtra.

It is fairly commonplace for a group of trekking enthusiasts to spend vacations staking claim at the 12,500 meter summit. But this time those climbing the river crossing and the rope-grappling were an assorted bunch of handicapped between 10-76 years with disabilities ranging from blindness to lameness.
Organised by Ajinkya Adventure Group based in Akola Maharashtra, the group of 45 disabled and strong-hearted trekkers took five days and months of training including yoga, swimming and climbing to scale the peak and most importantly their own handicaps.
"It was for the first time that a composite group of people with different disabilities participated in a trek such as this,"Dhananjay L Bhagat, the organiser of the group said adding, "the idea is to foster a spirit of understanding, that of team work between the group members so that each of them understand each others disability and grow to complement each other."
"When we touched the ice, it was exhilirating. We just thought to ourselves this is difficult, not impossible," Deepak, a visually challenged person says. Now, we say, "if there's something taller, we'd like to climb that as well," he adds.
"What adventures susch as these do is to increase our self confidence. During the trek, we felt that we were by no means handicapped, with adventure, we grew beyond," Rajesh Dawri, a sculpture artist from Akola and an amputee says.
The group relates stories of having "grappled across the river on ropes," crossed it on "log bridges where slight loss of balance would send you plunging into the torrential Beas river". However, no one in the group received any serious injuries.
"We regularly organise such activities like rope-climbing, rappling and river crossing in Maharashtra," instructor with the group says adding,"they just need a little support, but once they do something like this it does wonders for their personality."
Dhotre, the local Member of Parliament says,"taking people to peaks where not even all normal people go, is in itself extraordinary. From next year onwards whenever excursions such as these are organised we'll make sure that the need for funds is well taken care off."
One thing that Rukma, Sudarshan (visually and aurally challenged), Sheikh and Rajesh Dawri (physically challenged), Deepak and Monal (Visually challenged) and all others in the group agree on is that they're not about to back-down from a challenge."Get us a peak we'll climb it," they say.
As far as the group organisers, Dhananjay and others are concerned, this is just the begining of an annual event. "Maybe, one day, if we get the opportunity, we'll want to
Climb the Everest," Dhananjay says. (PTI)

source: http://www.dailyexcelsior.com/web1/05oct03/national.htm

_________________
Cheers !

Sachin

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[neha]

Hi Sachin,

it's really a very inspiring article. It reminds me of a beautiful quote that i once heard and that is
"Our capabilities are beyond our limitations"

Their example tells us that nothing is Impossible.

Hi Sachin,

it's really a very inspiring article. It reminds me of a beautiful quote that i once heard and that is
"Our capabilities are beyond our limitations"

Their example tells us that nothing is Impossible.

[Digitals2_t2]

Thanks For This Article
Really Good Story Writing and Topic



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[Currently banned]

Thanks For This Article
Really Good Story Writing and Topic



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