Most of us would baulk at the thought of competing in a challenging race in the rarefied air of Ladakh. But, not Arham Shaikh and fellow rider Sanket Bhirud, a blind athlete. The duo successfully completed The Great Himalayan Ultra in 26.01 hours on September 12, becoming the first ever tandem pair to participate in what is known to be one of India’s toughest cycling race, with such good timing. The pair participated and rode to create awareness about inclusion in the outdoors.

Shaikh and Bhirud were not alone in this 600 km-long relay road race starting and finishing in Leh, Ladakh. They were supported by two solo enduro cyclists Sandeep Kumar and Dr Himanshu Thuse and eight crew members. The team, aptly named Sahas, was supported by Bohemian Adventures, an adventure sport company based in Dehradun, which helped raise funds for the high-altitude race through crowdsourcing platform Fueladream.