This bike is powered by Preeti’s dedication to the cause of ORGAN DONATION!
Preeti’s story in her own words (Right from the horse’s mouth)
This a story (more of a narration) of Preeti’s determination to complete the K2K cycling mission for the noble cause of Organ Donation.
Total Travel on Days 10 & 11 : approximately 350 kilometers
Total cycling time : Approximately 30 hours
Total Travel until now : More than 3000 kilometers
Route : Veldurthi – Dhon (Bypass) – Peapully – Penna River Bridge – Anantpur (Bypass) – Penukonda (Bypass) – Somandepalli (Bypass) – Palasamundram – Kodikonda – Bagepalli – Chikkabullapur (outer)
States crossed : Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana State, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and a part of Tamilnadu
Preeti is in the last leg of her expedition and hearing about it from her was a very exciting experience!
The 10th day of the mission was a very challenging day for Preeti and the team… They had decided that they will now cycle nonstop and try to cover as much distance as possible…. They had already lost precious time due to the various challenges faced from Day 1 of the expedition….but both Preeti and the team had now started to get exhausted and feeling tired… yet they weren’t ready to take any breaks.
Then started a series of events which made them take a long break…. One of the pilot vehicles narrowly missed getting into an accident… Although it was a heavy descend Preeti wasn’t changing gears, she wasn’t following instructions (not intentionally) even after being told multiple times. She was so exhausted mentally and physically that she just could not process the instructions given to her…. Here the team stopped her from cycling made her walk for 3-4 kilometers holding her cycle.
The pilot vehicle’s driver also was feeling drowsy…. So together they all decided to take a rest break before any untoward incident could happen.
Preeti cycled for the shortest distance on Day 10… they were striving hard to save time and cover more distance… but due to the exhaustion they would have lost more time… hence it was unanimously decided to rest…. Preeti felt that it was a sign from some unknown power… She feels that we all are just doing what’s being told to us… the one getting it done is some unknown power… we all are just a medium to get things done is what Preeti’s views are.
Cycling is a form of meditation to her… She has covered maximum part of the expedition and now she’s going to really enjoy the final leg of the mission. Her aim to create awareness about organ donation is what is driving her to the successful completion of the mission. After a rest break of around 4 hours, Preeti and the team resumed the journey.
Of the two car crews, one car and its members stared their journey back to Pune … the last leg of the mission is comparatively easier…. They too missed getting in an accident barely after travelling for around 40-50 kilometers. Now these people also decided that they would not drive at night and will wait the night and start for Pune in the morning itself.
Preeti’s original plan was to aggressively cycle for long hours and complete the expedition in a short period of time… but now she says, “When I am riding steadily without and rush, I have a sense of satisfaction and peace!”
When asked about how does she manage with only limited amount of sleep, she says, “When you want to do something with all your heart and mind, hunger and sleep just don’t come to mind. All that’s visible is the target and the reason why you are doing the expedition.” The team practically forces Preeti to eat and drink at times. All the stops they take are utilized to make people aware of organ donation.
With nothing else in their minds but spreading awareness about organ donation is what’s keeping them strong and going..
Today she met a young man from Bengaluru who she had met in her K2K mission in 2019 … This young man had been looking at her WhatsApp statuses and came to surprise her… he just suddenly came in front of her and asked if she remembered him… this was a very exciting moment for Preeti…
Preeti says she would love to guide people who wish to do K2K or similar cycling expeditions in the future. She says, “More than concentrating on the success, the challenges should be jotted down as that’s what is more important. This will help prepare the people who would undertake such missions in the future in a much better manner.”
She’s going to talk in detail about the challenges she faced once she completes the mission so her experiences will be of help to others in the future.
More than personal satisfaction what see sees in the last leg of the mission is : “I’m able to do something for a good cause. What else does one need? This is what makes me happy…!”
Original Blog By : Kavita Pipada
English Translation By : Girija Shirurkar