From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Nashik youth sets new cycling record

NASHIK: Om Mahajan, a 17-year-old from Nashik, has set a new record by cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari — covering 3,600km — in just eight days, seven hours and 38 minutes. The teenager has beaten Colonel Bharat Pannu’s previous record of finishing the same journey trip his cycle in eight days, nine hours and 48 minutes last year.
Om comes from a family of proficient cyclists. A few years ago, Om’s father Hitendra Mahajan had finished the world’s toughest cycling competition Race Across America (RAAM).
Earlier, Om’s uncle Mahendra Mahajan had set the record of cycling from the country’s northern to the southernmost points in 10 days and 10 hours in November 2018.
Besides wanting to bring the record back home, Om had his sights set on breaking the record set by Pannu.
Om started cycling from Srinagar at 6.22am on November 13. He cycled through Delhi, Jhansi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Madurai and reached Kanyakumari on November 21.
Not being able to hide his enthusiasm for setting a new record in cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, an excited Om said, “It was an arduous journey. I had to brave both cold and bad weather, bad roads and blockades in Srinagar. I also experienced heavy rain and heat in Karnataka during my journey. I slept only for two to three hours per day and continuously pedalled. I cycled around 450 to 480km per day.
“This mission is dedicated to late Jaspal Virdi, the founder president of Nashik Cyclists Foundation (NCF) who wanted to make Nashik a cycling capital of India,” said the young cyclist.
Om himself used to cycle to school and college since Class V. Now, he wants to set an example by encouraging all school and college-going students to cycle to their respective educational institutions everyday.
Om said he felt using cycles as a mode of conveyance for going to schools and colleges was very cool. “Cycling improve health and also saves the environment. I want school and college-going students to save the environment and also stay fit and fine,” he said.