HYDERABAD: We’ve heard of Josh Machine. Those who are forever charged up about life. Now meet K Ravi Kumar, aka the Walking Machine, a Hyderabadi who has been walking for the last 26 years non-stop, every day of his life. Initially, he started off for health and fitness and today, he does it to create exciting world records.This 54-year-old ex-CRPF personnel from Tarnaka says that walking keeps him young, excited and hopeful about the future. “Doctors tell me that my muscles and bones are just 40 years old,” he says.
Ravi is now on a mission to display the triumph of human spirit by creating fresh records. “I have already broken many records including the one of Sushanth Jaiswa; from UP of treading 1,0,106 steps in one day. Now, I have already done this feat several times in Hyderabad and I recently realised that I have almost touched one crore steps in 2020. Now, I am going to set the one crore steps in one-year world record,” he says proudly.
It was a chance encounter with another Armed Forced personnel in 1992 on a train that changed Ravi’s life. The co-passenger made a snide remark about Ravi’s weight and that stayed with him forever.
“I am a foodie and one year in Punjab made me binge on the desi ghee, butter and other calorie-rich food of Punjab. I had put on about 10 kg in a year and the fellow passenger questioned the professional competence of an obese person like me. After that journey, I started walking for an hour, then two increased it to three and today I can walk from Tarnaka (start during sunrise) to Jubilee Hills, from Secunderabad to Keesaragutta and to Yadagirigutta and come back home for lunch. Walking every day has helped me lose weight and develop resilience,” he says.
Walking helps clear nasal ailments too
Ravi believes that walking can also help heal ailments like cough and cold. He says that for over a month he had developed a bad throat and a blocked nose. He stopped walking to take rest, but on the advice of a co-walker, he started walking again and in less than two weeks, the mucous cleared.
“An ENT surgeon suggested surgery but am glad I went back to walking to heal myself. Walking is the best medicine,” he adds.
Walk gear used
Interestingly, Ravi does not use any fancy walking gear, not even a water bottle at times when he starts on these daily walks. A simple set of walking shoes is all that he needs to tread any distance. On an average weekend, you can catch Ravi walking from Tarnaka to Shankar Mutt, then to Raghavendra Swamy temple in Barkatpura, TTD Balaji temple in Himayathnagar and then to Padmara Rao Nagar Skandagiri temple, then to Mettuguda Ayyappa Swamy temple and back home for lunch after temple hopping.
“A lot can be attributed to practice and effort I took way back. In 1984, I represented AP in NCC All India trekking expedition leading a nine-member team on foot for 17 days. I could even walk without water. I have walked more than 900 km averaging 40,000 steps or five hours a day for a walking marathon,” says he.Has he ever fallen sick? Felt leg ache? “Nope, never. I just developed some blisters for a week, but nothing else. He retired in September and is now excited to create world records to add excitement to life. So his next six weekends are busy.
He has already done more than one lakh steps a day in the last few weekends with six more to go. On November 22, he clocked in 1,21,731 in Hyderabad (85.1 km) and burning 12,103 Kcal and applied for an India Book of records entry. He says in the 24-hour walk, he did not even rest for more than 10 minutes to nap or have a quick bite. “I was too excited and kicked to feel hungry or sleepy,” he says.
Scheduled Walks
Fourth attempt of walking one lakh steps will be on December 6 which will be dedicated to late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Isha Foundation, Coimbatore
My fifth attempt of one lakh walking steps on December 13 will be dedicated to Dr NR Narayana Murty Founder, Infosys; Dr TV Mohandas Pai Chairman Manipal University earlier with Infosys & late Dr K Madhukar Shetty former Dy.Director SVP NPA Hyderabad
My sixth attempt of one lakh walking steps will be on Christmas, December 25 and that effort will be dedicated to Dr K Sivan Chairman ISRO; Dr KJ Yesudas renowned all time great playback singer and TT Rangarajan Mahatria ,Infinitism Chennai.
My seventh attempt of one lakh walking steps and that effort will be dedicated to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Jan 1. This is his way of saluting the greats
— Manju Latha Kalanidhi
kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com
@mkalanidhi