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Major Dharmadutt Goel’s 80-year old mother had passed away just two days ago, but that didn’t keep him from participating in Sunday’s Mumbai Marathon. He fulfilled his dream of running the half marathon- all of 21.09kms, with an artificial leg, and dedicated it to his late mother Manbasya.
Goel, who rushed back to Pune from Panchmarhi(MP) on hearing of his mother’s demise, forgot his specially-designed prosthetic carbon fibre leg. Despite of not having the specially-designed leg, he strapped on the conventional artificial leg and hit the streets of Mumbai, running alongside the young and able-bodied. The 37-year-old old completed the half marathon in 2 hours and 32 minutes.
“Some extraordinary power made me complete the run. I experienced tremendous pain after the 13th kilometre but I felt it was my mother goading me to run and I finally did it,” Goel told The Indian Express.
“I always wanted to join the services,” said Goel.
Goel had to run a dhaba for a living, before he started working as a lecturer in a Mumbai college, because of his degree. He was then commissioned in June 2002, however only a few months in the services, he met with an unfortunate accident. A mine blast during Operation Parakram at Gurez sector, 198 kms from Srinagar, saw him loose his left leg.
Goel, however, makes light of the incident. “In January 2003, I was fitted with an artificial leg at the Artificial Limb Centre in Pune. Within three months, I began paragliding, often hurting myself badly while crashlanding. Over the years, I have dabbled with ballroom dancing, playing basketball and riding my Bullet motorcycle for expeditions that have lasted for two-three days,” he said.
Gp Capt C N Satish, a prosthetic surgeon fitted Goel with carbon fibre limb at ALC, Pune only a couple of months ago. This enabled Goel to run, as he began putting in hours of hard work into his running at the Pune race course, and this preparation helped him in his dream to complete the Mumbai Marathon.
