Mumbai: While the elite runners broke records at the front of the pack, the true heart of the Tata Mumbai Marathon beat strongest during the ‘Champions with Disability’ category. This non-timed, 1.6 km event featured over 1,140 participants who proved that physical limitations are no match for the human spirit. Among them were Paralympic power couples and determined groups who travelled hundreds of miles to make their presence felt on the city’s streets.The morning was highlighted by the participation of Rohit and Hemlata More, a married pair of Paralympic athletes who finally aligned their grueling sports schedules to race together in Mumbai for the first time. Kanjurmarg-based Rohit, who found new purpose in the para-athlete community after a life-altering car accident in 2013, joined forces with wife Hemlata, a former captain of the Gujarat volleyball team. For them, the race was a celebration of the confidence and pride they have built together as a family.
Similarly, veteran sportsman Vinod Rawat marked his 22nd marathon alongside his wife Rohini, a wheelchair basketball player. Vinod, an amputee who famously reached the Mt Everest base camp, used the platform to advocate for greater wheelchair accessibility across India, embodying a spirit of “oneness” with Rohini that transcended the physical barriers of the course. “We want to emphasize the importance of inclusivity and wheelchair accessibility throughout India just like the organisers have managed to achieve at this event. The marathon is a platform for oneness that transcends physical limitations and societal barriers. I wish to motivate others who may be going through a bad phase of any kind,” the couple said.Both the More and Rawat couples’ relationship began within the competitive world of para-sports. The Mores first met during a sports competition in Chennai and now have two children. Vinod and Rohini’s paths crossed on a wheelchair basketball court. They have been married for three years.The event also served as a powerful destination for collective action, as a group of 25 people — including wheelchair users and their caretakers — flew in from Tamil Nadu representing the Amar Seva Sangam organization. Led by Deepak Lal, who has navigated life with a spinal cord injury since 2005, the group treated the marathon as an “annual pilgrimage” to raise vital funds and awareness for disability mobility. As these champions crossed the finish line to collect their participation medals, they sent a clear message to the thousands watching: disability is not an end, but a different way to begin the race.
