Shalini Saraswathi stole the limelight at the TCS 10k this year, her face grim with determination as she ran, crossing the finish line on prosthetic limbs. I set out to interview her with some amount of trepidation – how can I possibly question her about the illness that left her without limbs and the nightmare that must have followed? As it turns out, Shalini is frank and easygoing and has a remarkable talent for putting people at ease. My nervousness fell away as she described her illness with great candour and detailing the struggle she underwent to get back up.
“I thought I would be exhilarated but at the end of it I just wanted to sleep. But in retrospect, it’s great. I had a lot of people message me on WhatsApp and Facebook and that’s a powerful thing. It felt good to help others in some form,” said Shalini Saraswathi looking back on her effort in the TCS World 10K which she finished just over the two hour mark. Something she is not too happy about. “I’m very disappointed with the timing. I wanted to do it in an hour and a half and I did it a few times in practice too. But for whatever reason it didn't happen.”
Other than the immense heart and drive fuelling the self critic in her, few would taint her achievement in terms of sheer numbers after the quadruple amputee showed the world what grit and determination can do. And she has these qualities in abundance.
Her life took a big turn four years ago when she was infected by a rare bacteria, Rickettsial with morts, during her vacation in Cambodia. Doctors diagnosing the illness in Bengaluru, however, thought it was dengue. They couldn’t have been more wrong. In the course of the next few months, she had a miscarriage, both legs and her left hand amputated, following which her right hand just “fell off.”
She even suffered multiple organ failures during this time, going through the rigours of mainstream medicincal procedures and finally turning to Ayurveda, which she said helped her find some degree of success. Still, if there is one word that defines Shalini, it’s ‘fighter’. She soldiered on amidst all her battles with her husband Prashanth Chowdappa by her side. And the first step was to get healthy once more.
“I was very clear about one thing – I wanted to get my life back in order. So, when I got my prosthetics in 2013, I wanted to walk.” Then began encounters with a series of trainers, none of whom knew what to do. “Two years ago, we met B.P. Aiyappa. He said, ‘I’m not sure, but let’s try’,” Shalini explained. “In the beginning, I had no stamina or balance whatsoever. It took a whole lot of work for me to feel like my prosthetics were an extension of my own body,” said the Mount Carmel College alumnus.
Running the 10k was her coach’s idea. “We’ve talked about it for six months and I had to make a whole lot of sacrifices, but I’m glad it’s done. For me, it was about taking control of my body,” she remarked.
Shalini, who has her roots firmly at Kollam district in Kerala, is an inspiration to many, be it her determination in the face of adversity or her general outlook towards life, which is to take it in the chin and face it head on. But perhaps most of all, it’s the sense of peace, acceptance and excitement for what lies ahead that makes her stand out. “I’ll continue to run. It gives me joy and provides me with wings. Let’s see where life takes me,” she remarked excitedly. There are always new mountains to conquer after all.
