By Arnold R. Grahl
MJ Pavan and Bhagyashree Sawant, both members of the Rotaract Club of Bangalore Orchards, are riding 20,000 kilometers across India.
MJ Pavan and Bhagyashree Sawant, both members of the Rotaract Club of Bangalore Orchards, plan to begin their six-month journey in early October in the Himalayan city of Leh, and cruise to a triumphant finish in their hometown of Bangalore in March. Along the way, they plan to visit 400 rural and government schools, talking to students about the importance of getting immunized against polio and other diseases and promoting healthy hygiene habits.
With help from Rotary clubs throughout their district, they are promoting the ride as an attempt to set a record for the longest distance traveled by bicycle in a single country, a move designed to attract even greater media exposure in the days leading up to World Polio Day, 24 October, and beyond.
“We definitely want to build up Rotary’s public image,” says Sawant. “Only a little over a third of India’s population is aware of Rotary.”
Pavan says knowing that India is polio-free, but that the disease could come back at any time, is what motivates him.
https://www.rotary.org/en/cyclists-crisscross-india-support-polio-eradication