What did #HarGharTiranga mean for you?
For some, it was a way to showcase their love for the nation, for others it was a chance to hoist the Tricolour. For Content Creator on Moj Ablu Rajesh Kumar, it meant all this and much more. He celebrated his freedom from fear by cycling with prosthetics, a task rife with difficulties.
But for eyes that grew up watching his father cycle and for a heart that is stubborn, no task was difficult enough for the 25-year-old residing in Amritsar. He was already choreographing and running his own dance academy, namely, Ablu Rajesh Dance Academy. He was even hitting the gym regularly. So all that was needed was planning, which Moj, the video-sharing social networking service, helped out with.
All of this resulted in him making a place for himself in the International Book of Records for covering the longest distance on a cycle with prosthetics legs while holding the Indian Flag. Indeed, August 15, 2022 was the day when Ablu Rajesh achieved freedom from his fears and inspired others to fight for theirs.
So in the spirit of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, in a conversation with the content creators who inspires a family of 1.6 million every day, we found out he went about achieving this crowning glory.
Tell us when did you start planning on doing this? Did any particular instance or idea inspire you to do something like this?
I grew up watching my father cycle and seeing how fit he was despite his age tempted me to cycle. Given my unfortunate situation, it was a difficult task. I've always been a stubborn person at heart. I researched, spoke to a few people about cycling with prosthetics, and then gave it a shot. It wasn't easy because the prosthetics can be difficult to use while performing a motion task. I practised until I felt completely confident, and before I knew it, cycling had become my second passion.
So, one day, during my regular brainstorming session with team Moj, we developed this content idea, which evolved, and we eventually decided that I'd participate in their event. On Independence Day, I'll be cycling with our National Flag as part of the #HarGharTiranga campaign. I think it was a great way to celebrate my freedom from fear while also encouraging those people to never give up on themselves! This one is special for my family members and me.
Since you shared that initially, even walking in prosthetics was a task, tell us about how difficult it was to cycle. From when did you start practising this task?
To excel at physical activities, I had to build a lot of stamina to excel at physical activities. Other issues, such as palpitations and breathing difficulties, surfaced. To overcome these deficiencies, I decided to join a gym, which helped me gain strength and stamina, and I eventually achieved my goal.
What challenges did you face while preparing for the task? And how did you choose the location?
While preparing for the record, I used to cycle for about two hours daily in a nearby park. It used to get taxing with dancing and gymming, but my drive to do something unique gave me all the motivation. I had my fair share of struggles; I fell and questioned myself, but I stayed persistent and focused in order to achieve my goal. In these six months, I learned that if I put my heart and soul into something, I will ensure that I ace it.
Apart from that, I was struggling to find a location that offered vast space and realised that I would not be able to do it alone. So, I asked for help, and my peers helped me out. We looked at schools, colleges, and parks and landed at St Soldier Elite Convent School. The school principal found this idea intriguing and helped us with the space.
Tell us about setting the record and the message that you wanted to get across.
I always wanted to do something on my own, and my disabilities never made me feel otherwise. It was, in fact, a stronger reason that now I have to prove myself, and I went behind chasing this record. I just want to tell everyone that they should not lose hope and always believe in what they are doing. This belief and faith will take them places; it’ll give them all the motivation to work hard. I am really fortunate that even after facing many challenges, I have made a record for the International Book of Records today.
Now you are a content creator with Moj, but initially, was it hard for you to be in the limelight and be vulnerable in front of so many people?
Initially, when I joined Moj, people were unable to figure out what I was doing, my purpose, and why I was doing this. But slowly, when they started watching my content in depth, my audience understood that I wanted to inspire people despite my shortcomings. I wanted to do something big on my own, and I used my weakness as my strength through my content. I started refining my content, really worked hard for it, got new creative ideas, and crossed the one million mark. I have a huge family of 1.6 million today, who look up to me and eagerly wait for my content.
Tell us as a content creator, what makes your content different from the others?
As a specially-abled content creator whose primary genre is dance, I have received a lot of praise from my audience. The fact that I can do everything like any other ordinary person distinguishes and engages my content.
My dance academy — Ablu Rajesh Dance Academy in Amritsar, is currently catching pace and gaining momentum. I train underprivileged children from nearby localities for free. I usually teach dance every day in the evening between 5 to 7 pm. Currently, I am training 10-15 students at the academy. I’m also planning to open my own dance studio and wish to teach more dance enthusiasts from every nook and corner of Amritsar.
What's next for you?
With the positive feedback I've received on establishing this record, I'd like to concentrate on converting more such opportunities and working toward some new and exciting goals. I'm currently training to cycle ten kilometres. I also want to break a record by performing 50 rounds of semi-classical dance spins with prosthetic legs. Along with that, I intend to establish an NGO for the disabled and expand Ablu Rajesh Dance Academy.
For a regular dose of motivation, you can follow Ablu Rajesh Kumar on Moj: @ablurajeshkumr
