Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” – Dale Carnegie
Abhishek Gogoi from Assam, India was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at a young age. He started walking when he was 3 years old and had difficulty controlling his muscles. No matter the curveballs life threw at him, he did not let any of it come in between him and his dream.
1. He lost his father when he was 11
He got a lot of support from his parents and they used to walk him to physiotherapy sessions every day, but he lost his father to cancer and had to move back with his then-pregnant mother to her hometown, Guwahati.
2. He could not afford a bike to train on
His mother worked at a daycare centre and did not earn much. Therefore they could not afford to buy a bike, but this did not break his spirit. Later, he found a solution by borrowing his trainer’s bike to practise on.
3. Cerebral palsy did not stop him
Abhishek trains every day from 11 am to 3 pm in the gym to help condition his body for the physical demands of competitive cycling. In the evenings, he rides continuously for close to four hours around the city of Guwahati.
4. The phoenix that rose from the ashes
Abhishek had trained a long time for the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi. However, he took a bad fall on the windy, sloping course during one of the races after another cyclist fell in front of him. This did not bring him down. With the help from his coach, Abhishek came back on track for the 10K Road Race and proved his mettle by bagging a silver medal.
