Ten years ago, doctors feared that a woman with brittle bones would not be able to walk again.
On Sunday, the 55-year-old will be running the full stretch of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, partnered by The Telegraph.
On Friday, Aparna Prabhudesai and many others, who refused to bow to adversities, were at the Netaji Indoor Stadium to collect running bibs.
The stadium was buzzing throughout the day. Eastern India’s marquee road race, which turns 10 this year, will feature over 23,000 participants, the highest ever.
Prabhudesai, a resident of Pune, was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) — a rare genetic disorder that causes brittle bones — a little over a decade ago. She had to spend months in a wheelchair. “Doctors feared I might not be able to walk again. I took it as a challenge and had to prove them wrong,” said Prabhudesai.
Almost learning to walk again, like a baby, Prabhudesai started her fightback. Today, she is a seasoned long-distance runner, having participated in marathons in New York, Berlin and Chicago. “Running has taught me to take one step at a time and push my limits,” she said.
For Pratim Dey, 28, from Tangra, what began as a fitness routine has turned into a way of life.
Five years ago, Dey weighed 105kg and took up running to improve his health. “Initially, it was just about fitness. Gradually, it became a passion,” he said while waiting in the queue for his 10K bib.
The TSW 25K is credited with triggering a social movement in this part of the world. In the inaugural edition, the organisers struggled to find enough runners. For the past few editions, including this, every segment has been oversubscribed.
A large portion of the visitors to the stadium on Friday comprised women. Organisers of Procam, the race organisers, said the percentage of women has risen significantly in the past decade.