GivingBack has never been just one person or one organisation. It has been built, year by year, ride by ride, by a community of athletes who decided that their sport could mean something beyond their own finish lines.
These are their stories.
And now, with Giving Back, Dr. Bhateja is taking everything to the next level. He wants to inspire the athlete inside everyone and help people get back on their feet and back to living their best lives
We give everything we’ve got, then go back for more
Cycling Coach. Ironman-Certified Triathlete. The man who Everested Nandi Hills for a cause.
Dipankar Paul started cycling in 2008 to deal with back pain from a desk job. What began as a 10km commute turned into international triathlons across the UK, France, Switzerland, South Africa and the USA, and eventually a full-time career as an Ironman-certified triathlon coach,
His own hospital admissions from cycling injuries gave him a firsthand understanding of what it means when the brain and spine need care and what it means when someone can’t afford that care.
So he rode Nandi Hills 22 times in a single day. Over 300km. 8,848 metres of elevation. From 6am to 11:30pm, to raise ₹5 lakhs for GivingBack’s free spine surgery programme.
“I want to raise funds while also testing the limits of my physical ability.”
Bengaluru cyclist makes an Everest out of Nandi Hills
A cycling coach made an Everest out of namma Nandi Hills on Wednesday. Dipankar Paul pedalled up the hill 22 times and, in the process, covered 8,848 metres, the height of the world’s tallest peak. The concept, known as Everesting, involves choosing any hill and riding up and down repeatedly until the peak’s altitude is scaled in total
Starting at the crack of dawn, Paul was doing his final and 22nd climb up the hill at 11.30pm. He ventured on the initiative to raise Rs 5 lakh for ‘Giving Back’, a free spine surgery programme for the poor being offered by Sita Bhateja Charitable Trust
“I picked Nandi Hills because it is the Everest of Bengaluru for cyclists. The hills is 400-odd metres high, which means I will have to climb more than 20 times,” said Paul, adding, “A single climb will require me to ride 7.3km, which brings the total distance to upwards of 300km”
Asked why he opted for Everesting, Paul explained, “The reason differs from person to person. I want to raise funds while also checking the limits of my physical ability.’’ Paul began his ascent from the base of Nandi Hills at 6am on Wednesday. A few other cyclists, helping him on his climb, were present at the starting point
10,000 kilometres a year. Every one of them for a reason.
Shankar started cycling in 2010 to get fit enough to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. A 25km daily commute became a decade-long passion — racing with Spectrum Racing, one of India’s top amateur teams, across India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Italy.
He rode the Tour of Nilgiris — 950km across 8 days — with a single goal beyond finishing: raise ₹5 lakhs for Dr. Arvind Bhateja’s free spine surgery programme for those who need it most.
“Every kilometre I ride is for someone who can’t move at all.”
Shankar started cycling in 2010 as a way to lose weight and get in shape to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. What started as a 25km daily commute soon turned to a passion. And, he has been riding 10,000 kms every year since. Soon, daily commute morphed into serious racing. He is now a long-time member of Spectrum Racing, arguably the best amatuer racing team in India. A regular in the BBCh racing scene in Bangalore over the past years, he has also raced or MAMIL-toured in Thailand, Srilanka and Italy
:TFN Goal
Juggling a job that takes him away from Bangalore every other week over the past couple of years, one goal he has is to get his mojo back! Having done 3 TFNs already (2010 on MTB, 2011 and 2014), he also wants this TFN to be a bit different. Along with gearing up for the arduous 950 km tour, he has set himself a big target of raising Rs. 5 Lakhs for Dr. Arvind Bhateja’s Free Spine Surgery program for the needy – Giving Back
Training plan
! Zwift workouts during weekdays
!! and long rides during weekends
50 kilos lost. 900km ridden. A lifetime of giving back.
At 29, Vivek Bhateja weighed 125 kilos and was borderline diabetic. His brother Arvind handed him an old mountain bike. A year later he had lost 50 kilos — and decided to ride 900km across the Nilgiris to raise funds for patients who needed spine surgery and couldn’t afford it.
As the son of Dr. Sita Bhateja and a member of the family behind Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital, giving back was never just a cause. It was who he was raised to be.
“I’ve already come further than I ever dreamed. Now I want to ride for those who need a chance to do the same.”
Dipankar started cycling in Feb 2008 when long hours of sitting in front of the computer at work started leading to back and neck pain. Cycling to work brought in a certain amount of fitness to otherwise a sedentary lifestyle. The 8K worth cycle was initially used to commute for a short distance of 10 km daily to the office and back. One fine day he encountered the cycling group called Go Green Initiators which introduced him to the world of long-distance city cycling. It also introduced him to the world of multi-day cycling tours, like TFN. Soon TFN Prep rides were the weekend activities to look forward to. From the following year onwards the limits of physical and mental boundaries kept getting tested by participating in local races as well as triathlons around the world in countries like UK, France, Switzerland, South Africa and the USA
He has also had his share of mishaps and close brushes with death. He had been admitted to SBSH on a couple of occasions because of head injuries from road accidents while riding his cycle. This made him realise the importance of the brain and spine in supporting an athlete and any person in general. But not everyone is privileged enough to be able to pay for a treatment when these vital organs need to be operated on. Hence he decided to personally contribute towards the hospital’s charitable cause in the past and is now raising money by riding his cycle and raising awareness
TFN Goal
After switching his career as a software engineer to becoming a full-time triathlon coach and having recently become an Ironman Certified coach, he is looking forward to raising more support toward Dr. Arvind Bhateja’s Free Spine Surgery program for the needy – Giving Back. Having done 2 TFNs already (2012 and 2014), he also wants this TFN to be a bit different. Along with gearing up for the arduous 950 km tour, he has set himself a big target of raising Rs. 5 Lakhs for the charitable cause
50 kilos lost. 900km ridden. A lifetime of giving back.
At 29, Vivek Bhateja weighed 125 kilos and was borderline diabetic. His brother Arvind handed him an old mountain bike. A year later he had lost 50 kilos — and decided to ride 900km across the Nilgiris to raise funds for patients who needed spine surgery and couldn’t afford it.
As the son of Dr. Sita Bhateja and a member of the family behind Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital, giving back was never just a cause. It was who he was raised to be.
“I’ve already come further than I ever dreamed. Now I want to ride for those who need a chance to do the same.”
So, in a couple of weeks, in the name of charity, I will be riding the Tour of the Nilgiris – one of the premier cycling events in the country covering more than 900 kms over the course of 8 days. During the tour I will push my limits even more but I am not afraid as in the last year I’ve already come further than I ever dreamed
Last year, Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital’s charity rider in the TfN, Gautam Raja, raised 1.2 lakh rupees. I hope to better that this year, with your help.
A little more than a year ago, I weighed in at 125 kilos. I had been battling obesity for years and it had taken its toll on me both physically and mentally. I was even borderline diabetic. All at the age of just 29
Then something changed in my life. My elder brother Arvind has been an avid cyclist for years and he lent me his old mountain bike. I took to cycling around the neighborhood for short rides. My rides grew a little longer and with each ride my passion for it and confidence in myself increased. I then took the leap to racing in local community rides. The great companionship and encouragement I received boosted my self-belief to ride harder
Today, a year later, I am down to 75 kilos. I have lost 50 kilos and counting and at this point, I would like to give back to society through the hospital that has been an indelible part of my life. As the son of Dr Sita Bhateja, and both as a member of the family and an employee of Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital, I was brought up on the philosophy of giving. Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital was founded on a charitable trust which has spent nearly a half century bringing healthcare to the less fortunate
I hope to raise funds for the treatment of needy patients through Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital’s charitable foundation
Discover the World, one Full Adventure at a Time!
No: 8 & 9, O’Shaughnessy Road, Langford Gardens
Bangalore-560025, Karnataka – India
info@givingback.co.in
+91 80 40302700
