Stories of Grit
Akash Khandke
Lokmat News Network,
Nashik
An ordinary person with just 25 percent eyesight can either blame his fate and spend the entire life inside the four walls of his house or break the barriers and step out in the world to explore his passion. From the above two options, 30-year-old visually impaired Sagar Bodake has chosen the latter without any hesitation as he is interested in exploring the colours of life through education, mountaineering, and cycling. He has participated in various sports competitions so far and has ascended more than 95 forts, Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and many more. Recently, Sagar completed the Alang Madan Kulang Trek, which is considered to be one of the toughest treks in Maharashtra. This 30-year-old enthusiastic person works at a reputed bank in the city to support his family. His next target is the Everest Base Camp.
Narrating his life story to Lokmat Times, Sagar says, “I spent my childhood in Modale, Igatpuri. I was almost blind when I was born. My parents, despite financial problems, spent their savings to give me vision. After two operations, I gained 25 percent eyesight. Though it is not enough to see the world clearly, it is sufficient to be independent in life. I got admitted to the school in my village, but it was very tough to study the normal way. Thus, my parents shifted me to the blind school soon. I still remember those days, as I learnt Braille script along with harmonium and chess there.”
Sagar completed his Master of Arts recently. He worked as a telephone operator at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for almost four years before relocating to Nashik. Currently, he is working at a bank in the city.
When asked if he ever feels that life would have been different if he was not visually impaired, Sagar says, “The blindness in my strength, it is not a weakness. Many youngsters in our country are jobless today as they lack passion and readiness to fight in order to achieve their goals. I know the importance of success just because I have to put in more effort than other people. I can proudly say that I am successful and happy in life.”
He narrated his experience of ascending Mount Kilimanjaro. “I was a part of a 5-member team that flew to Africa for this expedition. I was the only specially abled mountaineer in my team. I had collected 2 lakhs from crowd funding and the balance amount was given by my family members. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me.”
Currently, Sagar is preparing for the Everest Base Camp expedition. He swims, cycles and exercises daily in order to maintain his fitness. His daily schedule includes cycling in the morning and swimming and running in the evening. The Garud Zhep Pratishthan, Nashik, Saksham Nashik, RCE Education, Nashik, and Shiv Urja Pratishthan, Chh Sambhaji Nagar are his biggest supporters.
“My family has been very supportive throughout this journey. They always encourage me to scale greater heights in life. Their support and my willpower act as a fuel for me,” says Sagar Bodake.