It has not been an easy ride since 2016 for H J Neveen Kumar who lost a leg in a road accident. But that could not dampen his indomitable spirit to conquer the Himalayas. The Andhra Pradesh-domiciled youth, an executive of HSBC Bank in Bengaluru, navigated the rugged Himalayan terrains with a prosthetic leg.
Kumar, a resident of Mittamidapalli under the Hindupuram Mandal of Sri Sathyasai district, was confined to beds for two months following the accident.
Following recuperation in July, he realised it was not the end of the world and enrolled himself on a magnetic bike expedition by Hero. Of the 20 co-riders, Kumar was the only one with disability. The group rode 2,361 kilometres for six days to reach Umling La Pass on the Indo-China border -- one of the highest motorable roads in the world.
The Indian Book of Records recognised him as the first disabled person to achieve such an extraordinary feat.
"Oxygen levels are very low in Umling La which makes it too difficult to breathe. The temperature will be in the minuses. But I dared. Hero cleansers helped me when a problem occurred. My next goal is to ride from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," said a jubilant Kumar.
Kumar, who is a national-level shuttler, is training at the Indian Athletic Academy for the Asian Championship in 2026.