JOURNEY
Ashish Kasodekar…. An Inspirational Indian, A Hero, A Champion, Simply - A Passionate Runner.
Let’s find out where it all began?
Year 1971
A man who has gone the distance. A man named Ashish Kasodekar.
Ashish Kasodekar, a young man of a little over 50 today, was born on the 26th of September 1971. His father Dattratraya was a hard working stenographer in a state government department. He was known to often burn the midnight oil but he enjoyed his work thoroughly. Qualities, which the child Ashish observed carefully and imbibed into his own personality as the years went by. His mother, Malti, a gregarious and welcoming home maker took care of the household, all the while making optimum use of the resources available. Again, qualities that did not go unobserved by her middle son.
After completing his schooling from the Vimlabai Garware High School in Pune, during which the game of basketball caught his fancy, Ashish went on to study commerce at the BMCC College in Pune, interestingly the venue of his very first official run.
After completing his studies he ventured out into the world in pursuit of a professional career. His avid interest in travelling and exploring new places helped him immensely in choosing a career in the travel and tourism industry, which commenced in 1994.
Professional life meandered on and time ticked by as it did for the rest of humanity.
Year 2008
In February 2008, Ashish found himself watching the flagging off of the Enduro event in Pune.
This was an adventure sport team competition, which involved cycling, trekking, river-crossing and shooting. Fascinated by the competition, Ashish decided to participate in the Enduro 2009 edition.
This was a watershed event in Ashish’s life, as it taught him to push himself to higher levels as well as to celebrate any and every big and small moment in life, like the 11th of November 2011 !
Ashish’s first official individual running event was the 15 kilometer run from BMCC College to Chandni Chowk and back in 2013.
After this race, his interest in running was stoked for life. Ashish fell in love with running.
This is when he firmly resolved to “choose love over fear”.
It was his belief that “we are not born just to pay light bills, phone bills and emis”.
This passion for running and single minded dedication to this labour of love has led to several achievements.
Year 2016
In 2016, Ashish participated in the 89 kilometer Comrades race in Durban in South Africa.
All was going well till the very end of the race and he would have finished well inside the stipulated time but for a momentary lapse in focus. A brief, uncharacteristic loss in concentration; time ran out and he failed to finish the race.
This setback only fuelled his desire to succeed in the 2017 edition and sure enough his dedication, mental strength, ability to learn from past mistakes and of course rigorous training saw him complete the race well in time.
As Ashish says, “When a person is focused about his or her goal then small things remain small they don’t become big and you achieve your goal.”
Failure, he says, is just a stepping stone to success.
Year 2017
He completed his first full marathon in 2015, in Leh in the Ladakh region of North India. Spurred by his experiences in Leh, he successfully completed the Khardung La Challenge of 72 kilometers in 2017.
The strong desire to push himself further saw Ashish enter and complete the La Ultra 111 race in 2017. At this event, Ashish learned that La Ultra 111 was considered a ‘baby run’ in the La Ultra family. While he was taken aback, his interest was aroused.
He learned that the next level was the La Ultra 222 and that there was even a La Ultra 333 race. A 333 kilometer competitive race! This was a mind boggling distance but Ashish’s mind was made up.
He enrolled as a participant in the La Ultra 333 event but in spite of his own and his team’s best efforts, he suffered a bout of hallucinating and stopped running. In danger of missing the vital 72 hour deadline, Ashish, cheered on lustily by his supporters, mustered up every last ounce of energy and in an emotional moment for all Indians hauled himself across the finish line.
At the award function the next day, an astonishing announcement was made. La Ultra X edition would be held covering 555 kilometers. While even the most courageous and stout hearted participant would baulk at the idea, not Ashish Kasodekar. He was made of sterner stuff.
A strong believer in the maxim: “not trying can only lead to regret; make an attempt”, he decided to enrol and participate. Learning from past mistakes and preparing thoroughly for about a year, Ashish and his team were ready for this unprecedented challenge, the ultimate test of the human mind and body.
Year 2019
In August 2019, against all odds, Ashish earned a podium finish and became the first Indian to complete the La Ultra X 555 edition.
Today, Ashish is known as :
One of the 10 Toughest Men in India as featured by Man’s World India.
Finisher of the world’s toughest foot race at Badwater, Death Valley, USA.
Finisher of Comrades - the ultimate human challenge.
Finisher of the world's highest extreme ultra race.
It is obvious, Ashish is a passionate runner, who has learned to celebrate life because he now understands that “life is a beautiful experience to be enjoyed, and savoured and relished every single day”.
The eternal optimist, Ashish believes that “in life we never lose, we either win or we learn”. “Everything is good in this world; it’s the way you look at it”. “Every morning, a wonderful life knocks at the door; it’s up to us to open the door and live that life or keep the door shut and leave that life”.
“Dreaming is important but it has to be supported by desire, drive, dedication and discipline”.
Year 2021
To celebrate his 50th birthday in September 2021 he decided to create a world record by running 60 consecutive marathons in 60 consecutive days!
Straddling the pandemic stricken months of November and December 2021 and January 2022, when the whole world was going through depression and negativity, this attempt, nay, this stupendous achievement played a vital and humanitarian role in bringing people together safely, lifting their spirits and spreading happiness and positivity.
Bit by bit the spectators, passersby and well wishers including people from all walks of life started participating by running short distances themselves. School children, local residents and even senior citizens took active part to bolster Ashish’s unique effort. Their self belief went up and community bonding increased during this Guinness world record achievement.
For many, the pandemic was being overcome if not conquered and this was mainly thanks to one man – Ashish Kasodekar.
Happy with the unexpected but astounding success of the Guinness world record achievement of 60 consecutive marathons in 60 consecutive days, and observing how people who were at a low point during the pandemic emerged out of their gloom and depression to new levels of cheerfulness and optimism, Ashish came up with the idea of using ‘running’ to lift the somber moods at other places too; to lift people from the low phases and frames of mind to a high point.
And so was born the idea of Low2high with the motto “Hum fit toh Bharat fit”.
In running terms, Low2high was an initiative to complete a jaw dropping 4,003 kilometer run from the lowest geographical point in India, which is Kuttunad in Kerala situated at 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) below sea level, to the high point of Umling La in Ladakh, which is situated at a majestic height of about 5,798 meters (19,022 feet) above sea level in exactly 76 days to commemorate the 76th Independence Day of India, on the 15th of August, 2023.
During Low2high, Ashish ran through 9 states of India besides 1 union territory. A heartwarming feature of Low2high expedition was that the local people from India as well as tourists from several countries from all over the world joined Ashish for short distances along the way throughout the journey.
When Low2high reached Sonepat in Haryana, Ashish was felicitated by the Sports Authority of India, which conferred on him the title of ‘Fit India Movement Influencer’.
Prodigious talent, limitless endurance, indefatigable determination, indomitable courage and gut wrenching grit are words that are often associated with Ashish.
Ashish is all of these and more.
While he has literally achieved Himalayan heights, it is the very Himalayan mountain range that keeps him ever humble, ever grounded and ever open to learning from the ever giving benevolence of Mother Nature. The magnificence of this mountain is unparalleled and cannot be captured in paragraphs, pictures, words or visuals. Its very presence is awesome and inspiring and Ashish is fully mindful of this and hence his respect and reverence for this divine creation.
In fact, Ashish has been bestowed with the sobriquet of ‘Himalayputra’ for his prodigious performances in this majestic range of awe inspiring mountains.
For Ashish personally, the Low2high run was a combination of the Badwater 135, La Ultra, Comdares and the Cherapunjee Ultra but this Himalayputra with the calmness and composure of a monk was thoroughly enjoying himself in spite of the debilitating conditions, which included the extreme high altitude, desolate terrain, scorching heat, uncomfortable humidity touching 93% and blinding rain.
But Ashish believes that “there is no such thing as bad weather”. At each of the mighty Himalayan passes, Ashish would stop momentarily, pay his respects and offer prayers to the Gods in his own unique style.
He knows that “you cannot cross a mountain; the mountain allows you to pass”.
It is thus seen as a miracle that on reaching the destination of Umling La, there was, what can only be interpreted as a divine blessing in the form of a soft shower of heavenly snow.
Thus, “Low2high is a unique life changing journey that teaches one that with desire and discipline, miraculous things can be achieved”.
On the 15th of August, 2023, Ashish Kasodekar’s dream of unfurling the Indian national flag and singing the Indian national anthem came true. “ Be together, achieve together, celebrate together. ”