If grit and perseverance could be personified in a person, Mr. Ashok Munne would be the ideal candidate for it. Words fall short when one attempts to describe the various skill sets of Mr. Munne – a para-athlete, mountaineer, an expert paraglider, a scuba diver, a marathon runner, a black belt in martial arts, a skilled gymnast and kayaker, yoga expert and ace swimmer. Several honors have been bestowed to him, including the following – Shivraj Pratisthan Gaurav Award 2012, Maa Tujhe Salam Award 2014, Maharashtra Times Nagpur Rising Award 2014.
The loss of a limb did not deter Mr Munne from mapping the course of his life, igniting the fire of determination and inspiration in many hearts.
He went on to ascend Nepal’s Mera Peak without oxygen in 2012, reaching a height of 6,476 meters. He has accomplished his lifelong dream of partaking in the Raid de Himalaya, one of the most difficult rallies in the world. Mr Munne and Mumbai’s Vinod Rawat became the first para athletes to compete on motorbikes in the world.
Only a few bravehearts have the courage to race motorbikes at high altitudes and across mountain passes, but Mr Munne is no less than a lion-hearted man who has filled us with pride with his achievements and dedication.
He taught the world that it is tenacity, persistence, and positive thinking that lifts one out of their misery. He believes and spreads awareness about Yogasan and Meditation.
When he encountered an unfateful train accident that resulted in the loss of one leg, the medical community had disappointed him in his experience with his treatment which only made things worse for him, affecting not only his physical health but mental health as well.
But instead of wallowing in despair and self pity, he channeled all of his energy towards proving his mettle with Yogasan. He reaffirmed our faith in our ancient knowledge of Yoga and Vedic wisdom.
He shares a vision of healing the world through the knowledge of Yoga, a self-soothing technique similar to meditation, relaxation, exercise that improves energy.
The physical vulnerability that stormed at him became his mental strength as he wasted no time to let the darkness reside within and instead focused on his healing. Initially, he made the novel addition of his artificial limb adapt to physical activities such as regular cycling and driving his bike and automobile.
He has always believed in sharing his wisdom with the world, to give back and always be a form of inspiration for many. He gives live demonstrations in Kung-Fu, Karate, Chakrasana, and Yogasan to school children in Martial Arts, Gymnastics, and other sports.
Ashok Ramlal Munne was born in Murthy, a small hamlet near Nagpur. Since boyhood, he has aspired to achieve something more in life and has had a penchant for adventure sports.
His friends called him “Mowgli” since he used to spend a lot of time looking at the sky, climbing trees and mountains, watching others drive automobiles and motorcycles.
He came from a family of farmers, he did not have a financially secure background but that didn’t stop him from being zealous towards his passion, yet it also didn’t blind him against his obligations as the eldest son. Today he has become a living legend for us, teaching us that it is the perseverance, kindness and the dignity of responsibilities that define you.
It gives us utmost Joy to have such an awe inspiring soul be a part of our journey to spread the Awareness of Mindfulness in the world. He is the epitome of the message that you are not what life throws at you, but you are what you make out of your life.
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