Cancer survivor pedals to highest motorable pass

KOLKATA: No ordinary man who battles cancer, and triumphs over it, immediately takes up a challenge that even the most able-bodied and spirited would baulk at. Like a grueling trip on a bicycle from Manali to Khardung-la. But then, Sisir Maurd is no ordinary person; beating odds is what he loves the most. Sisir (36) was diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukemia, and diabetes, in March 2013. A bruising battle with the aggressive disease followed over the next few months and his doctors at Tata Medical Center here struggled to keep the diabetes in check while tackling the malignant cells. The intensive chemotherapy sessions drained him emotionally and physically. He was bedridden for nearly seven months till September that year, when the good news that the cancer was in remission came from his doctors.But being confined to bed for so many months took its toll — the muscles of his legs had weakened a lot. “I could walk slowly, but found it extremely difficult to stand up after sitting down,” said the engineering graduate who is manager of a company that manufactures engineering products.Sisir had been a fitness enthusiast and loved to trek. And the hills, which he was so fond of, started beckoning to him. “I decided to strengthen my leg muscles to trek again,” he said. Sisir took to cycling in Rajarhat on an entry-level hybrid supersport bicycle from this March. He set a punishing schedule for himself: at least 30 kilometres a day, thrice a week. Within a couple of months, he was clocking an average of 50 kilometres a day.He developed a passion for the sport and decided to go cycling in the mountains. He started practicing in the flyovers of Rajarhat. “I came across an advertisements of cycling tours from Manali to Leh and decided to undertake that adventure,” he said. “There was opposition from my relatives, but my wife supported me all along and handled the naysayers,” he added. Sisir reached Manali and started the climb to Rohtang pass along with another cyclist from Kolkata, Sandipan Ghosh, on September 2. They cycled over the next 11 days to reach the Khardung-la pass (the highest motorable pass in the world at 17, 582 feet) on September 12. Sisir’s first reaction on reaching Khardung-la was relief on having achieved his mission.“I was also overcome by my gratitude towards the hospital (Tata Medical Center) and the doctors there for taking such good care of me and helping me fight the cancer,” he said.Sisir’s achievement has set off a wave of admiration and applause from Kolkata’s cycling enthusiasts. “The Manali-Leh-Khardung la route is the ultimate for cyclists in India. It is the equivalent of climbing Everest for mountaineers. It is beyond imagination that someone who beat cancer and took to cycling six months ago could do this,” said Nishant Maheshwari, founding member of ‘Discover On Wheels’, the only registered cycling group in Bengal. Sandipan, who works with IBM, said: “I got to know aboutSisir’s cancer and diabetes at Manali at the start of the tour and I was amazed. I said ‘hats off to you’, to which Sisir told me I should say that to him after he completes the tour.”Sisir said his expedition had another purpose: to spread the message that cancer is curable.“It takes time and support from society, but the cruel fellow that cancer is can be defeated,” the cyclist said. Sisir said there is a 50% chance of the cancer relapsing. But that doesn’t stop him from planning his next adventure. It’s a toss between going to Pamir Mountains in Tajakistan or Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.