A 8-yr-old girl cycles 100 km each day. She started her journey from Lal Chowk in Srinagar and her destination is Kanyakumari. She will cover 4,500 km journey in about two months.
May sound unbelievable, but it’s true. A Patiala girl Raavi Kaur Badesha is cycling alongside her cycling enthusiast father Simranjit Singh Badesha who is a constable in Punjab Police.
She began her journey from J&K on Nov 10. Then she reached Jammu and later entered Punjab. On November 16, she reached Hoshiarpur via Mukerian, Dasuan, Garhshankar, and Balachaur.
On November 18, she reached Chandigarh, paid obeisance at the Sohana Gurdwara in Mohali and stayed the night at a friend’s place in Sector 80, Mohali.
CityWoofer spoke to the father-daughter duo during their stopover at Mohali.
How are you arranging for your food and stay during the journey?
We are in contact with our friends, well-wishers and acquaintances, there is somebody or the other somewhere. We have our own YouTube channel ‘Himalayan cycling’, so people are themselves coming forward to help us.
Is there any particular diet that Raavi eats to get energy?
No, she eats the normal food whatever is available, little bit of eggs and chicken, but yes she does not eat any junk food.
How is she catching up with her studies during this journey?
Before we begin our day, Raavi has to be on a video call without fail with her mother who helps her study. She has been granted a two-month leave by the school.
Does she have a special cycle or is it the ordinary one?
I got a special cycle imported from Canada for her from my relatives settled at Surrey in Canada.
Have you thought of cycling as a prospective sport for her where she can win medals for the country?
These expeditions are just training her for bigger events, Once she is 12, then she’ ll be able to participate in cycling competitions.
What is the child’s response to such a humongous journey for her?
She is positive till now, let’s see!
Have you participated in any cycling marathons and competitions before?
I got into cycling in 2015. Later, I introduced my daughter to cycling at the age of four. Ever since she has been at it. This is not the first time she has undertaken such an arduous journey. Her first cycling trip was of 50 km when she was four and a half years old. Then, she did a round trip with me from Patiala to Kasauli which is about 400 km. In June, 2022 we undertook another trip from Shimla to Ladakh which was a total of 800 km.
