Call of the River - A exciting adventurous Solo journey of Rency Thomas across Ganga !
Be it a call of a river or a passion to explore the mighty river from the orifice to the culmination point. A daring feat never dreamt till today. A dream accomplished with a journey across the sacred Ganga in a remarkable 95 days. A solo adventure of a 36-year-old, with a lot of challenges, and with a lot of untold stories .A n accomplishment which is something beyond applauds & appreciation . !
Vishwanath Radhakrishna
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An enthusiastic, dynamic personality by nature, a humble human being by heart, and always with a charismatic smile on his face. It is a brief introduction of a 36-year-old Mr Rency Thomas, hailing from the coastal town of Kanyakumari located in the Lands End - Southernmost tip of India.
It is a story of sheer grit and perseverance that has made him achieve and fulfill his lifetime dream today
Though diagnosed and suffering from Chronic Rheumatoid Arthritis, his passion was the driving force and overcame it all. A born Adventure enthusiast since his childhood days.A NCC Air wing cadet, flying aircraft. Despite severe challenges his passion has driven him to explore, Air I Water I Earth, and LIVE 360 dreams. Finally, embark on a unique voyage across the Ganga from its source Gaumukh - The Origin of Ganga, in Devbhoomi in the state of Uttarakhand to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal in 95 Days.
---- Any extraordinary Achievement indeed ----
His burning desire for the outdoors has always given him solace and achieve new goals and assist those aspiring for adventure. Currently resides peacefully amidst mountains in Manali, and manages his Live 360 deg Adventure Company.
During the Expedition, a chat with Rency revealed few facts.
1. You hail from the Southern tip of India. What inspired you to go on an expedition across Ganga
Even though I hail from Kanyakumari, my life has always been travelling. My Appa was in BSF and had to travel due to his assignments, I changed 12 schools by the time I finished my 12th standard. When I was consulting for an adventure company in Delhi, I got an opportunity to plan, design, and execute a Ganga Source to Sea expedition for a group of 8 polar explorers from across the world. That Expedition was in motor boats and I was leading them in water. This is the time when the idea of doing the entire stretch of Ganga Source to Sea in a human-powered way came.
2. Tell about the challenges that you encountered during the voyage. Did you feel any time that I can't
The biggest challenge was to paddle for more than 6 hours continuously all alone in the river. The River is so wide and gets into many channels, that navigating and finding the right channel was a task in itself. This expedition was completely supported by friends and known people, so raising funds every time it got drained was a task in itself. There is no road access to the river bank everywhere. So meeting the support team everyday evening was difficult. With my arthritic pain getting flared up, it was a challenge to paddle or cycle for a long time.
There was a time when I got so completely drained emotionally, physically, and financially that I was almost in the verge of giving up. But with the help of my support team I was able to come out of it and continue the expedition.
3. What message do you want to convey to the adventure aspirants and Individuals globally
"River Ganga provides life to many, it provided me path, courage, wisdom, and strength to see that life. No dream is far from reality if you just blindly believe, commit, and go for it."
I suggest that adventure aspirants and individuals to explore new adventures and exploratory journeys which is plenty and abundantly possible in this world. And better to be away from going behind conventional and famous adventures.
4. What is your next adventure ? AIR I WATER I EARTH. Any hint .
I have few ideas in my mind, but will execute them into reality may be 2 to 3 years down the line with better preparedness. There are a couple of projects both in air and water.
The Western skies were lit. Rency Standing facing the setting sun next to the river bed, hands folded and with a grin on his face adds a popular quote from the great poet Rabindranath Tagore
You can't cross the sea merely by standing
&
Staring at the water
