Adventure Sports as an Alternative Career
Adventure Sports as an Alternative Career.
Early days...
Every morning waking up to see my father in the uniform made me feel so proud and I was so inspired to join the Army. This is when I started to learn about discipline, waking up early, eating healthy, playing and being patriotic. I also learnt how to respect others from all walks of life and it was like a one big happy family at the camps. I thoroughly enjoyed my father’s postings at various parts of the country and made such lovely friends. I was lucky to experience all kinds of activities like trekking, golfing, horse riding, Para-trooping since it was easily accessible. Growing up in the precincts of greenery, I learnt a bit of gardening and planting trees. Today when I see Trees are being CUT my heart palpitates and I can feel the anger when the nature is being destroyed.
YES there have been ups and downs, but one should always rejoice the happy moments and experience the not so happy ones and take it as a stepping stone to triumph.
Joining the Army
Why wouldn’t I not join the Army when I knew I could become a good citizen, fight for the country and be part of this beautiful caring BIG family? I joined as Military Policemen (Corps of Military Police Center & School).
What I can recollect and reminiscence most is when the entire battalion came together to donate blood for a single person. This certainly taught me sharing, caring, being human etc.,
Love and Passion for the Adventure Sports.
After retirement what next? It was passion which kept me going and the feeling of doing and achieving something where I could share my experience from the Army. The right moment for this actually came when I started working at a Management College, as a Manager Operations. During this time, somewhere I felt the urge to do my MBA thinking that it would be of great help. Doing my MBA made me realise that what was taught in the name of various specializations had no practical exposure but was only redundant theory in classrooms. For e.g. Leadership, Team work, Risk Assessment Financial Management etc. all of which I had learnt at the ground level during my Army days.
Then, when I understood that not everybody can join the Forces and gain experience but certainly they could gain from my experience and that’s how the Adventure Club was born.
This was the small beginning to a big dream. I would go all-out for this initiative of mine to continue in contributing to the future students to be better citizens of India. The Road was rough but now over 3500 students have experienced the adventure sport and also some have taken it up as professional sport.
Credit goes to?
Obviously the Army first and then my parents. Dad being in the Artillery regiment, always ready to face the wars, who fought many of them, taught me to be calm and enjoy the PRESENT MOMENT. This is what I inculcate in many youngsters saying that do not fear and make the best of the Present Moment. The families I met, the friends I made, the teachers who taught with so much passion, my mom who introduced me to gardening, the Army which taught me to treat everyone with respect etc., certainly have played a huge role and I am grateful.
Summing it up, my unsung mentors were the Para Instructors or the Judo and karate Instructors from Corps of Military Police and the Signal Instructors from MCTE (Military College of Telecommunication of Engineering) have played that decisive role to help build me.
If you have faith on your God and trust him, he guides all the way to success, I use to do only one thing before & after conducting the adventure activities kneel down and pray saying Lord this is your strength not mine. Till date not even one student had a scratch.
Truly all this has made me a better human being and a great citizen.
Keep believing and work sincerely and Goals can be achieved.
Nothing comes easy and so was it for me as well. It was hard to persuade the management (Bangalore Management Academy & Alliance University) where I worked; to just take students on outings and into the wilderness and experience nature. Trying to convince that the World is not all about Theory but doing activities practically was important for an overall healthy being. I assured them of students’ safety while they were out. Then I was proud to have organised a group of 50 boys and girls in diverse activities at different locations and different risks ranging from Land, Air, Water and Under Water activities.
Best part about students is that you can mould them and they are so co-operative, they are bubbling with energy, enthusiasm, full of life, wanting to learn more each day.
Award that I deserved came through LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS & UNIQUE WORLD RECORD who recognised my contribution.
To make it more popular?
Schools and Colleges should make it a compulsory outing at least once or twice a year and make it affordable. They should include certain credits in the academic curriculum. Encourage youngsters to take up adventure sports which will help them stay physically and mentally fit.
I am keen on introducing certificate courses, get students to intern and probably a Bachelor’s degree too. This course would involve curriculum like leadership skills, planning, discipline, safety with first aid tools, emergencies, perfection, responsibilities, working in a team, financial management, experiencing extreme weathers, making it a successful career etc., . This of course would precede with Theory classes.
I would like the Government to give equal importance to Education, Sports and Adventure sports.
A bit of Advice to the Youngsters.
Youth is very precious and make the best use of it. Fear not, experience some of the activities and you will want more.
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