Mumbai Marathon 2018: Running enthusiasts run for social causes close to their heart

Mumbai: The Mumbai Marathon is not just a race, it is also a platform to reach out to people about social messages. More than 259 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) participated in the 15th edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) 2018. The people had come with various theme and social causes such as child sexual abuse, Thalassemia, sanitation needs for women and disability among others. Many of them were also promoting messages in such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, save the environment and many more.

Wheelchair-bound, but avid

The marathon also saw a good number of persons with disabilities. It was emotional and at the same time inspiring for others to watch persons suffering with cerebral palsy, a condition which restricts a person to a wheelchair. There were more than 300 such participants who willingly took part in the event.

27-year-old Riddhi Gada said she wishes to spreads motivation to others by participating in the event. She suffers with cerebral palsy and was accompanied with her parents at the marathon event. “I am taking part in the event for the 12th year and I feel good about it,” added Gada.

There was also a large group of hearing and speech impaired persons. A Non-Governmental Organisation called Trrain headed the group of at least 85 persons with similar disabilities.“We train the students and provide them with employment opportunities at retail sectors,” said a member from an NGO.

Nanhi Kali gets support

21-year-old Amogh Madhav lost his leg in a car accident some years back. Onn his road to recovery, he had to choose a path and that introduced him to marathon. Last year, he took part in the Dream Run and this year he made up his mind to participate in the marathon. He was supporting the NGO Nanhi Kali which provides primary education to underprivileged girl children in India

“In one year, I participated in 9-10 runs and I hope to do more.” This degree student hopes someday he would go out of the city to take part in other marathons. At present, he has a prosthetic leg. Talking about his regime, he said he practises two hours everyday and have been regularly exercising to maintain his stamina.

Autistic children shine

Around 40 special children, who suffer from autism and other disabilities and earn their livelihood by making eco-friendly products like bags, festival decor, tea light holder, gift cards and jewellery from unused materials, also took part in the race under the augis of Shraddha Charitable Trust, a non-profit vocational workshop founded in 1998.

Liver transplant patients

More than 30 liver transplants patients and donors run with an aim of spreading awareness and message that they are proud to a transplant patient, healthy and active.

With an aim to spread the message among people to stay fit and healthy, Shibani Gulati, a kidney transplant survivor, who completed her 21 km in Tata Mumbai Marathon for the fifth time. Gulati, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2010, was motivated to run the marathon to keep herself fit and change the thinking of people that organ transplant survivors cannot run a marathon.

Promoting organ donation

Two youth from Bangalore promoting Organ donation and another youth who is also from Bangalore dressed as Indian map opposed caste system discrimination. Manas Kumar(25) an Information Technology profession based in Bangalore said, “I just came here to promote the basic things which we know but we fall for the trap laid by the politicians.”

“We are one, we should follow the principle of being one and should discriminate anyone on caste, creed or religion and we should avoid following personalities who are a threat to secular fabric,” he said.

(Inputs by Swapnil Mishra, Narsi Benwal, Jescilia Karayamparambil and Karishma Ravindran)