Former Marine Commando Praveen Teotia who once stared death in the face during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is India’s first disabled Ironman.
Former Marine Commando Praveen Teotia who once stared death in the face during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is India’s first disabled Ironman. Praveen carries in his body the haunting souvenirs of that brutal night: four bullets that ravaged his lungs and ear, and nearly 100 splinters still embedded deep within him. Multiple surgeries followed. Doctors dismissed the possibility of a full recovery. His injuries disqualified him from combat.
But Praveen, fuelled by an unshakable resolve, began pushing his limits in ways few dare to imagine. In 2017, he conquered the grueling 72 km Khardung-La Marathon in Ladakh—one of the world’s highest and toughest runs—finishing within the stipulated time and proudly earning his medal. His life since, he often says, has been nothing short of an “arduous, long adventure.”
A Shaurya Chakra awardee and hero of 26/11, Praveen has now scripted his name in history by conquering the Ironman Triathlon at the Triathlon Championships 2018 in South Africa, emerging as India’s first disabled Ironman.
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The Ironman an unforgiving trifecta of endurance demands 180.2 km of cycling, 42.2 km of running, and 3.86 km of swimming. For Praveen, the challenge was even more brutal. Midway, the derailleur of his cycle snapped, forcing him to pedal uphill for the remaining 70 km with an injured knee and ankle. His leg bled as he ran. Yet, he persisted. And he finished.
Behind this extraordinary feat stood his trainer, Kaustubh Radkar, a certified triathlon coach. Praveen quit his job as a security officer with the Taj Group to pursue training in Goa under Radkar’s guidance. Radkar told Free Press Journal that Marine Commandos like Praveen “undergo rigorous training and fight till the end, never giving up,” adding that coaching him was nothing short of a privilege.
(This article has been curated with the help of AI)
