While it may be usual for the residents of Iraniwadi — a quaint locality in Kandivali — to see people practise their daily exercise routine, here, in a nearby garden 61-year-old Amarjeet Singh Chawla is prepping up for this 62nd Marathon, to be held in the city on January 15. However, what’s special about this man in black glasses is the fact that when his vision progressively deteriorated, he started to run; not away from life like many of us would, but towards a goal.
Having lost his eyesight to macular degeneration at the age of 13, Amarjeet decided to make his lack of vision his strength. “Till the age of 35, I underwent many treatments, but nothing worked and eventually I was rendered completely blind. I was never into sports or any form of exercise but once I lost my eyesight, I knew I had to do something so that people would recognise me. I just didn’t want to be another man in the world who came and left without making a mark,” asserts Amarjeet, who has missed only one edition of the upcoming Mumbai marathon since its inception in 2004.
The ultra marathoner has thus far successfully completed 62 half marathons across India and aims to achieve his target of 101 half marathons before he turns 65. Ask him what keeps him motivated and he chuckles, “People often ask me, if being visually impaired hurts. Well of course it does, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop living. Being blind isn’t a handicap but is definitely a motivation to do something big and achieve something in life. Why should I think of this as impairment, I get very sad to see very less number of visually challenged individuals running by my side.”
For a visually impaired runner, an escort is his guiding light, explains Amarjeet. “My preparations for every marathon depend on my escort and I have changed over 22 escorts so far; their availability keeps changing and so does my practice. For this edition, I will be running 21 km with my escort Rahul Brahme, who is a BEST bus conductor,” he reveals.
The evergreen marathoner is far from ready to hang his running shoes, despite his family worrying that he may injure himself. For Amarjeet, some risks are worth the freedom of feeling the wind in his face and the slap of the ground beneath his sneakers. “My family keeps telling me to quit running because every time I run there are some injuries. But I keep telling them I may be old, but I’m still new to the sport; let me continue,” he says.
Indeed, the 61-year-old is convinced that he will continue running as long as his health allows him to do so, and money keeps flowing. “I run an insurance business with my wife and we get by with the money that we get from there. However, while earlier the registration for various marathons was just Rs 200 onwards, now they shoot up to as much as Rs 1,600. I want to continue running till my health allows me and money keeps churning through my business, because family always comes first.”
Running is not his only passion; Amarjeet equally enjoys trekking and mountaineering and has climbed Dolma Pass, the highest peak on Mount Kailash, at an altitude of 18,600 feet in 2009. “I also love dancing and whenever there is a DJ on the racing track I make sure I shake a leg before racing ahead,” he laughs.
