: Born Without Lower Limbs, I Always Dreamt of Riding to Ladakh; Here’s a Look at My Trip #IndiaNEWS #Disability It was Ahmedabad-based Shivam Porwal’s dream to experience Ladakh on a bike. While

Born Without Lower Limbs, I Always Dreamt of Riding to Ladakh; Here’s a Look at My Trip #IndiaNEWS #Disability
It was Ahmedabad-based Shivam Porwal’s dream to experience Ladakh on a bike. While this is a dream that many have, for Shivam to see it through was not an easy feat.

Born with Phocomelia syndrome, it is a rare birth defect characterised, in most instances, by severe malformation of the extremities. Infants born with this condition will have arms and/or legs that are severely shortened or sometimes completely absent.

This syndrome left Shivam without his lower limbs and he has only three fingers on each hand. But this didn’t deter him from living his life.

Shivam PorwalPhoto Courtesy: Shivam Porwal

Speaking to The Better India, he says, “I am 26 years old. I feel like I have so much to do with my life. So far, I have experienced zip lining, have been on long bike trips, but still, have to do paragliding and sky dining. �?

Having graduated from IIT Shivam is currently employed with BSNL. When he is not working Shivam is a motivational speaker and a poet.

‘I have always wanted to fly like Superman. ’

Feeling on top of the world. With his wife, Preeti.
Photo Courtesy: Shivam Porwal

While growing up, Shivam would look at others riding their cycles and always felt the urge to do the same. “At that time, I could not cycle and my dream of speeding in one remained unfulfilled. However, my parents never let me feel bad about my situation. They would encourage me every step of the way and made sure that I did almost everything I wanted to,�? he says.

He says his father instilled in him the need to be self-reliant and his mother pushed him to excel in all spheres of life. “It was my father who made my dream of riding a bike come true for me. When I was in college my father bought me a scooter, despite several financial hardships. That was a turning point in my life. With the scooter, I felt independent. Even when I landed my first job I would drive myself to work every day. �?

Shivam also rode the same scooter all the way from Ahmedabad to Udaipur, covering a distance of 260 km in total. Accompanied by his wife, Preeti, Shivam says that they enjoyed the trip thoroughly. “We ensured that we did not ride at night and took a small break after every 50 km,�? he says.

It was this trip that set him up for another big ride. Before planning a trip to Ladakh, the duo went to Goa and Jodhpur on the bike as well. Despite some of the challenges they faced, their resolve to travel to Ladakh only kept getting stronger.

Even though Shivam and Preeti were confident about making a trip to Ladakh, none of the family members were convinced. Even more so after the challenges that they faced during their road trip to Jodhpur.