From Sambalpur to Puri, this teenager pedals 400km in two days

A Class VIII student achieved a milestone by pedaling over 400 km to reach Puri from Sambalpur in just two days.

Soumyaranjan Sahu, aged 14, started his journey from Bamara of Sambalpur on December 24 and reached Puri on Tuesday via Kuchinda, Riamala, Angul, Athagarh and Bhubaneswar. 

Cycling has been a passion for him and he always wanted to cover long distance journey. It was his maiden trip and Soumya took it as a challenge. With sheer determination, he covered 400 kilometer in just two days. In a candid chat with OTV, the Sambalpur lad who aspires to be a professional cyclist shares his future plans.

How was your trip? To this query Soumyaranjan responded: “It was not an easy task for me as it is my maiden trip. At the beginning, I suffered leg cramps. I felt tired too. In order to get rid of fatigue, I had to take breaks and rest. I halted at Angul where I had a goodnight's sleep and it recharged me again. I left for Puri the next morning after having a pain killer. In hilly area I found little hard to pedal, but I made it possible.”

Soumya attributed the feat to his father Narayan Sahu who was following him in bike throughout his journey from Bamara to the Holy town of Puri.

Following his son's achievement, an elated Narayan said, “I am really proud of my son. I always encourage him to follow his passion. I leave everything on him. Whatever will be his aim, I am there with him. All I want him is to be a good cyclist and make our country proud.

Reported by Madhusudan Mishra, OTV