Odisha Para-Athlete Breaks Guinness World Record by Traveling 213 Km in 24 Hours in a Manual Wheelchair
Kamalakanta Nayak has surpassed the distance achieved by Mario Trindade of Portugal in 2007, who clocked 182.4 kilometres (113.34 miles). The 28-year-old is now attempting to qualify for the Paralympics in Paris.
On Sunday, January 16, Odisha-based para-athlete Kamalakanta Nayak broke a 15-year-old record by completing 213 kilometres in 24 hours in his wheelchair, earning him entrance into the Guinness Book of World Records.
The 28-year-old set a Guinness World Record for the ‘Greatest Distance’ travelled in a manual wheelchair in 24 hours, from Master Canteen Square to Rajmahal Square Cycle Track in Bhubaneswar.
He began his trek at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and finished at 4:28 a.m. on Sunday. Nayak stated that his next goal is to qualify for the Paralympics in Paris. Nayak has surpassed the distance travelled by Mario Trindade, who timed 182.4 kilometres (113.34 miles) on December 3-4, 2007 at the Vila Real Stadium in Vila Real, Portugal.
Suffered A Debilitating Injury
The para-athlete suffered a severe injury eight years ago, and doctors told him he wouldn’t be able to walk for the rest of his life. “Suicidal thoughts would cross my mind after sustaining a spinal cord damage.
However, my family, coach, and doctors assisted me in recovering “According to ANI, Nayak stated. Furthermore, the Odisha Wheelchair Basketball Association and a Betterlife Foundation team aided him in successfully attempting the world record.
Nayak completed the feat in four phases, each lasting two hours. On Saturday at 9.30 p.m., he took his first break. The second breach occurred at 4.30 a.m., the third at 7.30 a.m., and the fourth occurred after smashing the previous record at 12.45 p.m. on Sunday, according to The New Indian Express.
From Depression to Setting a World Record
“Doctors warned me that I would never be able to walk again after the incident. I was depressed for almost a year.
Everyone I met informed me that you couldn’t walk. Today, I showed to myself that I am capable of setting a world record in the marathon “he stated, adding that his elder sister was a big help in inspiring him. “It was challenging to cross such a large distance in 24 hours.
The lap for super ultra-marathon is the distance from Rajmahal to Master Canteen, which is roughly 1.14 kilometres. Kamalakanta ran 118 kilometres in the first 12 hours and then rested for the next 12 hours “Siddharth Dage, his mobility companion, stated.
Odisha Para-Athlete Breaks Guinness World Record
