Climbing against all odds: A para-climber dreams 'gold'

On a breezy evening in the Malleswaram suburb of Bengaluru, Dakshil Mathuria is tackling a fresh problem on the climbing wall at Bangalore Boulder. His coach, Manikandan Kumar, stands by, observing his ward in silence. As the teenager misses a hold and drops down on the crash pads, Kumar grimaces in disappointment, before handing out a flurry of instructions. Mathuria gives it another go and this time around, nails the dyno move. Though he isn’t the one climbing, there’s a sense of satisfaction on Kumar’s face. Coaching these days is just an extension of his own climbing goals that he’s pursued over the last two decades. In 2012, Kumar left home without informing his parents. It rankled his father to no end, but his eldest son couldn’t be bothered. The idea was to prove his worth against the top climbers in the world. And there was no stopping him until he had given it his best shot. A week later, local media showed up at his doorstep. It was how his family learned that Kumar had travelled to Paris to compete at the IFSC Paraclimbing World Championships. And on his debut, he had picked up gold. Quite oblivious to the world of sports or climbing, Kumar’s mother, Usharani, had asked, “Is it real gold?” “That medal changed my life. It’s not like there were no struggles here on, but I knew that I wanted to climb for the rest of my life,” Kumar says. Over the last few months, he has taken on a relentless grind, spending solitary hours at training at the gym. And as another paraclimbing season gets underway, Kumar will be looking for a taste of the same success that he’s experienced in the past. Life brought its first twist for Kumar at the age of five when he contracted polio in his right leg. However, he never saw the need to stay away from the playground or ask for special favours while on it. His grit was apparent, whether it was cricket, football or kabaddi, and enough reason for the other boys to ignore the slight limp in his weaker foot. “Sports was all that I knew even at that age. If others could play well, I could always do better. And if I lost on a certain day, it simply meant I had to work harder the next time I stepped out. They liked my attitude and nobody really picked on me for my disability,” Kumar recalls. In 2002, he first discovered climbing at an outdoor camp in Ramanagar on the outskirts of Bengaluru. There was an instant connection with the activity and he was soon a regular feature at the wall in Kanteerava Stadium. A year later, he went to his first national level competition and returned with the “Best Climber” award. He was the only adaptive climber at the event. “It made me realise that I could be among the best. Besides, nobody made me feel like I was a para climber. I’ve finished among the top-10 ever since in domestic competitions,” he says. Kumar set everything aside to pursue climbing full-time. It was only when he flunked his 10th grade examination that the family threw a fit. Back then, his father worked as a carpenter, while his mother rolled agarbattis to take care of the kids. Climbing was considered to be a frivolous activity when compared to earning a living. It only pushed Kumar to work harder. He doubled his training hours and took up freelance work as a climbing instructor and outdoor guide to fund his activities. Before each competition, he would take on the onerous task of raising funds for his trip. The early years were difficult, but once he had results to show, things gradually started falling in place. Kumar believes that competing against able-bodied climbers over the years is what has helped him mentally. After the success in 2012, he picked up 21 medals at various IFSC World Cups, two of which came this year - a silver in Salt Lake City in May and a bronze in Villars in July. As always, he travelled to these venues months in advance to spend time climbing and training locally. “You get an idea of the climbing standards and the new holds that are being introduced. It’s the only way one can know what to expect during competition. In the past, I would have to compensate for the lack of exposure with the experience that I have gathered over the years. Things are much better today,” Kumar says. His own climbing gym had been a dream ever since he started climbing, and has now given him the means to be better prepared for competitions. Once operational in November 2020, the facility made it possible for him to train as per his convenience and put in the effort to compete alongside the best. “The gym has all features in one place - slab, overhang, medium overhang. I imported the holds from Switzerland, which is on par with what they use during international competitions,” he says. “I keep working on routes that I’m not comfortable with - like those that need coordination moves or have tiny holds. Besides, I’ve also worked on my technique and breathing. That is going to be the difference between gold and other medals now,” he adds. The reputation that he’s gathered over the years has made it relatively easier to locate sponsors today. But he still needs to approach them in a private capacity at the start of each year, present the competition calendar and then wait in the hope of gathering the necessary funds. “The need of the hour is to have a body for sport climbing that is recognised by the sports ministry. This will draw the necessary funding to host more competitions and training camps, help athletes compete internationally and reward those who bag medals. These are all essential components if you want the sport to grow,” he says. Kumar’s primary goal this year is the World Championships in Bern in August. And he’s in a good space mentally today to fulfil that goal. His parents have stopped working. Kumar has taken over all responsibilities of running the household. He’s found training partners at the gym who keep motivating each other, which in turn has helped him push the envelope. Another important tool over the last few months has been the Bhagavad Gita. Kumar has made gradual progress through it and has drawn a lot of parallels with climbing. “It’s about dedication, similar to climbing. One needs to be in a state of heightened consciousness during competition - to be in the moment to achieve what is needed,” Kumar says. “Once you’ve started climbing, there is nobody else there to stop you. If you want to top the route, you just have to work hard enough to achieve it,” he adds. But there’s another unfulfilled dream that Kumar hopes to achieve before he focuses on grooming the next generation of climbers - a Paralympic gold. Sport climbing was introduced at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, but was left out in the Paralympic Games. There are now proposals to include it as part of the Paralympic Games in 2024 in Paris and 2028 in Los Angeles. Though the wait continues, it’s enough motivation for Kumar to go out each day and train at the highest level. “A Paralympic gold would be the perfect end to this dream I started dreaming two decades ago,” he says. And perhaps the start of another for Kumar. The author is a freelance writer from Mumbai who thrives on narrating a good story. Views expressed are personal. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.