Inspiring us to do more
Life hurls hard blows, failures and obstacles in our path that test our character and grit. In those moments, we can choose to do the difficult or give up. After all, giving up is easy.
But doing the difficult is what differentiates and creates heroes among us. Obstacles and challenges could be in various forms – financial constraints, physical disabilities, ethnic differences, and so on. Tackling these head on with perseverance, determination and patience while still succeeding in their endeavours creates true heroes.
It is easy to idolise celebrities and their fame, but tough to find real life heroes who have proven the naysayers wrong with their achievements. The following individuals have redefined the definition of success and shown us that hard work and passion does pay off.
Dipa Karmakar
This Olympic gymnast has made the nation proud with her dedication to the sport. Although she finished fourth, Dipa has set a new milestone for India. She landed a Produnova, which is one of the most difficult vaults in women's gymnastics, and is one of the only five to successfully achieve this feat.
This success wasn't easy. Hailing from Tripura, she started her gymnastics journey at the tender age of six. She was born with flat feet, which is not the ideal trait for any gymnast. Through rigorous training and practice, she was able to develop an arch in her feet. Overcoming her early obstacles, she has created a historic record of being the first woman gymnast from India to qualify to the Olympics.
Mariyappan Thangavelu
Born in a quaint village in Salem, Mariyappan, at the age of five faced a devastating incident – he permanently lost his leg. He was run over by an errant drunk bus driver, on the way to school. This setback at an early age did not break his positive spirit. With encouragement from his physical education instructor, he took up high jump as his passion.
He cleared a whooping distance of 1.78m at the T42 event and was qualified for the Rio Paralympics 2016. This was his tipping point. Today we all know him for winning gold medal in men’s high jump. This goes to show, positivity keeps us going even when faced with life changing accidents.
Sakshi Malik
Sakshi is an inspiration to millions of girls, to break away from convention and pursue their dreams. Born in a village in Haryana, she was motivated to take up wrestling watching her wrestler grandfather. Despite all opposition and constant taunts of ‘wrestling is not for girls’, there was no stopping her. She went after her wrestling passion, turning deaf-ears to negativity with newfound determination. Today she is the first Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics 2016; she won a bronze medal in the 58 kg category.
Bipin Ganatra
This 59-year-old from Kolkata is a quintessential definition of a real hero. He has till date attended to 100 fires, received many accolades from the government, and won the hearts of locals with his spirited fire fighting skills. The twist here is this; he is not a professional fire fighter. He is fearless, and once hauled two 15 kg cylinders in a fire that could have easily claimed his life. 21 years of doing this, his sturdy health and tireless energy seem to be the reasons for his motivation to keep at this life-endangering feat, every day.
These men and women with their untiring perseverance and willpower have helped redefine success. At ICICI Lombard, we salute their heart to #DoTheDifficult against all odds and continue to inspire countless others. Through our #DoTheDifficult campaign, we urge everyone to break their own barriers – however small or big they may be, whatever the nature of the barrier may be.
#DoTheDifficult for good health and wellness!