NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” – Christopher Reeve

I wasn’t one of those kids that was really into collecting action figures or listening to stories like The Avengers. To be honest, I still don’t really know which heroic character belongs to which comic brand and who is a bad guy vs. good guy, or who has saved what universe. I do know that a cape or a fancy suit often earmarks any given character as a hero.

The dictionary defines “hero” as follows: “a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” I think that we all collect our own serious of heroic action figures throughout our life; people who we admire for their courage, achievements, or noble qualities. Some heroes are formed as a result of a relationship dug deep over the years. For instance, my dad tops the list of my collection of heroes; not because he wears a cape, but because of what I have seem him do, the sacrifices I have seen him make for me, and the grace in which he nobly bears all the grief I have given him as his child. (I was not an easy child to raise… ) He is listed as my personal hero because of the relationship I have built with him.

Some heroes are established quickly and over short periods of time, often because of something that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. This post would taken a week of Sundays to read if I listed all the heroes I’ve gathered over the course of my life, so I’m just going to highlight one. This young man isn’t someone I’ve known my whole life, nor is he anyone I really know that well, to be honest. His English is better that my Hindi, but still the language barrier leaves us lacking in the area of communication. He isn’t a hero to me because of anything he has sacrificed on by behalf, or any contributions he has made to my personal development. He is a hero to me because I admire his courageous attitude, outstanding achievements, and noble qualities. His name is Shailesh.

(Photo from Shailesh) Taken at the farewell party on Friday night.

It would probably take me another week of Sundays to write the whole laundry list of achievements that this young man has already accomplished in life. To name a few, at age twenty seven he is the first Indian to complete a full marathon in a wheelchair (3 hours and 58 minutes), he holds the speed record in India for half marathon in a wheelchair (1 hour 44 minutes). He is a spinal cord injury (SCI) peer mentor to over 2,000 patients across India, and the list goes on. Shailesh was injured in 2011 in a freak accident that left him with a thoracic level spinal cord injury. Since that time, he has dedicated his life to supporting and educating others with spinal cord injury about the value of rehabilitation and proper health maintenance.

Although his list of accomplishments is impressive, it isn’t what impress me most about this young man. His tenacity to overcome the obstacles of the situation he suddenly found himself in is incredible and inspiring. The sacrifices he makes to support and encourage others who have found themselves in a similar situation is humbling. When he is not off competing in sporting events or races, he is teaching all wheelchair users higher level wheelchair skills such as wheelies, ramp/stair management, etc. here at Chandigarh Spinal Rehab. Without fail, Shailesh always has a dimpled smile spread across his face indicative of the cheerful attitude in which he seems to approach life. I have lived a small snippet of life in India and I know from first hand experience that it can be a challenging place for an able-bodied person to live, but the challenges of life in India do not seem to impact his attitude or ambition in life.

I think one of the other characteristics of heroes is that when we hear or experience their stories, we are left wanting to be a bit more like them. I know I’d be a better person if I had a little more of my father’s sacrificial attitude and grace when things don’t go my way. I also believe that if I adopted a little more of Shailesh’s incredible attitude (especially in the face of adversity) and a little more of his dedication and passion to serving others I’d also be a better person for it. Shailesh, my friend, thank you. Thank you for your amazing perseverance, your willingness to encourage others, your humility, and your consistently positive attitude. You are what heroes are made of… no cape needed.

An intense game of carroms. Winning or losing, he is always smiling.

At the farewell party on Friday night. (Please excuse the poor photo quality... night photography isn't my strong suit.)