Sagar Baheti from India, stood out among the thousands of runners pushing to finish the 2017 Boston Marathon. Baheti crossed the line holding his Indian flag up in the air.
There is a thing about Baheti which stands out is that, he became the India's first visually impaired runner to participate and finish the race.
Afterward the marathon, Baheti sat in the lobby of Park Plaza Hotel smiling with his parents, Vishnukanta and Naresh Baheti, who flew in from India to support Baheti. Baheti’s parents seemed slightly overwhelmed at the enormity of the event, but their smiles were never ceased. Baheti wore his medal around his neck, while his mom held his laminated Indian flag.
"This has to be one of the most significant days for me," said Sagar. The 26.2-mile marathon was not easy. After running on the dirt in India, running on the asphalt was got difficult. Around at 17 miles, Baheti felt that his shins giving up on him.
"I told myself, 'Even if I have to crawl to the finish line, I am not letting it go. I have to cross the line,'" said the 30-year-old runner, who is from Bangalore.
Four years ago, Baheti was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a genetic disorder which caused progressive deterioration of the central portion of his retina. He may never be blind entirely, but his vision will get more worse, he would not be able to see past a few centimeters, and it may be hard for Baheti to distinguish colors.
But, his disorder did not stop him from being an inspiration to millions of people in India and around the world. He has run marathons before such as the Ladakh Marathon, the Coorg Escapade and the Bangalore ultra-marathon. But, Boston marathon was his first marathon outside of India.
In preparation for the marathon, Baheti arrived in Boston on 7th April, taking time to acclimatize to the city and also to its weather. Baheti was terrified it was going to be too cold, especially after getting used to running in the 95-degree temperatures in Bangalore, but he said that the weather gods have been good to him.
"I went for runs on the streets and saw runners everywhere. They are so much more competitive here," Baheti said.
Notice issued to Karti Chidambaram for forex violations
And he would not have wanted it to any other way, Baheti said. "This is a movement of sorts, and it was incredible to be a part of it."
This was also the first time that Baheti ran with guides. He had three guides throughout the course, and he said that it was a fantastic experience. The guides described the race atmosphere and also what spectators were up to and Baheti felt them all.
Although Baheti aimed to finish the race in three and a half hours, he was glad that he was able to make it through his shin issues and cross the finish line.
Baheti before heading back to India, Baheti is making a pit stop in the Frankfurt, Germany, where he plans to run a half marathon on 7th May.
When asked if he want to come back to Boston again?
"Absolutely, I can't wait to qualify and run again," he said
Mrudula Duddempudi.
