On Sunday, para-athlete Kamalakanta Nayak set a new Guinness World Record by travelling 213 kilometres in a manual wheelchair in under 24 hours.
Kamalakanta, a Puri local, started his marathon on Saturday afternoon from the Master Canteen Square to the Rajmahal Square Cycle Track point and finished it on the same day. Previously, Mario Trindade of Portugal set a world record of 182.4 kilometres (113.34 miles) in a wheelchair in 24 hours at the Vila Real Stadium in Vila Real, Portugal, on December 3-4, 2007.
Kamalakanta broke the record by a long shot. “I am overjoyed and grateful to everyone who has helped and encouraged me on this historic journey. People’s perceptions of differently-abled people will change as a result of my accomplishment. With the record broken and history set, Kamalakanta believes that along with his wheelchair, the wheels of fate have started alongside him. He now aspires to qualify for the upcoming Paris Paralympics.
Kamalakanta’s Ground-breaking Achievement
To give everyone the same chance. Equal respect is expected. To provide them with the opportunity to grow. Above and beyond the Paralympics is the ability to burst through and demolish all stereotyped restrictions imposed by human civilization. A Specially abled people’s sport. Kamalakanta takes advantage of the opportunity to go against the grain and makes history.
It was tough to traverse such a big distance in 24 hours, according to his mobility companion Siddharth Dage. “The lap for super ultra-marathon is 1.14 kilometres from Rajmahal to Master Canteen. In the first 12 hours, Kamala Kanta covered 118 kilometres and the rest in the second 12 hours “He expressed himself. The event was monitored with a total of eight cameras and GPRS equipment. In four periods, he took a total of two hours off.
“We’ll send the program’s details to the Guinness Book of World Records for the official announcement,” says the company “Siddharth chimed in. Kamalakanta was assisted in his voyage by the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs, Bhubaneswar Smart City Ltd, and Betterlife Foundation, a city-based NGO.
