I was flying over the Indian Ocean when the hands of the clock met and at that stroke of midnight, the arrival of 2019 was announced on the PA system. That trip was memorable for many reasons. After many months of grueling work schedule, even the thought of being away from work for a month was enough to excite me and there I was, actually going for my holiday. It was my mom’s first international trip. I was going to meet a friend and his family, probably after a decade. I can keep on adding to this list but amongst all these reasons, I was about to fulfil my dream. A dream I had harvested for many many years.
If someone had told me that one day the dream would come true, I would have laughed.
The Handcycle –
I touched down in Melbourne on the 1st of Jan 2019. I had an amazing time, learning about the new culture, meeting new people, the conversations I held, the cricket match at MCG, my first travel in the metro, and many more. Putting aside all these memories, there was that one particular memory that gave me immense joy. That was on 15th Jan 2019.
That’s the day I touched; I drove the handcycle that I dreamt of.
The place where it all happened was Oakleigh. But that’s not where I want to start. Oakleigh is where I want to finish but at the start, we have to go back a little.
About 5 years ago, I stumbled upon a Paralympic athlete who was doing a vlog within a mountain range over a handcycle. I was super excited to see that. I felt the child in me woke up. As a child, I had super fun over a tricycle which is India’s compromise of a disabled cycle. It is bulky, it has only one peddle, either to ur right or left. It has zero intelligence on the center of gravity and anything remotely associated with comfort. Still, it was the most fun I had. It brought me closer to the sports. I was able to get much-needed cardiovascular activities. Then life happened and I was away from my tricycle. Until I saw this handcycle which was the most attractive and comfortable thing I had ever seen. That’s the point of the story I should start.
The countless nights I researched, the countless drawings I drew of it. The interviews I have seen. The website I hunted. But nothing was available in India. When checked for import, it was just not feasible financially. Disappointed I decided to leave the dream for another lifetime.
Cut to the first 15 days of my Melbourne stay. All I ever did was search on Google to find out if anything was possible. If I could just see it. All I wanted was to see these bikes in person. In this scavenger hunt, I saw the Melrose wheelchairs. I got to ride the cycle. Here have a look –
Apart from this awesome experience, my Melbourne trip was filled with memorable experiences.
You are at the MCG! 🙂
My first international cricket match and it was between Aus and IND. IND won it without much hesitation, of course :). I saw MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli in action. I loved the statues in front of the MCG. Shane, we miss you! Viv and I rode a metro ride to the MCG and the view at MCG was simply out of this world.
The heart of Melbourne
I met an incredible set of people on this journey. I learned a lot about the facilities provided by the Australian government to people with disabilities. I truly admired the courage of the folks I met over there. Most of them had their own company going. They worked from the comfort of their home. Micheal was one such individual I met. During the causal stroll through a shopping mall, I met a man who had an awesome awesome-looking wheelchair. I inquired about it enthusiastically. He not only told me about it, he invited me to his home. Not soon after, we all were sitting in his living room, exploring different options of wheelchairs. He was kind enough to give me one of his old wheelchairs completely free. In return, I asked him if it was okay if I took him out for dinner.
I loved the wheelchair, which I still use for my day-to-day movement, and loved to hear from Micheal about his entrepreneurship. We still are connected over FB and occasionally exchange hellos.
They say that the people are the heart of a city and if it is true, Melbourne you have a large heart.
Melbourne, you have given me so much to remember. I shall see you very soon!
Great story writing mate..