Retired MARCOS Praveen Teotia, deemed unfit after getting injured in the 26/11 terror attack, trained and participated in Half Iron Man Triathlon.
The scars of the 26/11 attack in Mumbai in 2008 will never be forgotten by many of us. For Indian Navy Marine Commando Praveen Teotia, it was an operation that changed his life altogether. He battled terrorists during the attack at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai and had to pay a heavy price for it. Teotia took four bullets during the rescue operation and was left with a wounded lung and ear.
But a fighter that he is, he not only came out of it but has emerged as an inspirational figure today. A few days back, he successfully completed the 72 km-long Khardung La marathon in Ladakh in 12.5 hours, a well 1.5 hours ahead of the stipulated time.
“During the rescue operation in 2008, I was shot and taken to the hospital. I vividly remember everything even today. Almost all, including the doctors, had given up on me. However, as a trained Marcos commando, fighting till the end was an integral part and I continued to fight all odds for almost five months. I recovered, but my hearing was impaired,” speaks Teotia while taking us back in time. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his distinguished service.
The hearing impairment resulted in him being disqualified as a commando, which meant that he could not be in combat. As per the Indian Navy order 9/11, Teotia was reassigned at the rank of a petty officer and non-active duties like desk work were assigned to him. For someone who always wanted to be in action, this was a shock. “I never wanted a desk job.
For a considerable time, I was in action and that made me apply for a Navy mountaineering expedition. The application was rejected on medical grounds as they thought I was not fit,” Teotia says. The rejection brought out the fighter inside him. Determined to prove he was fit, Teotia started his race against time.
With the support of the Taj Hotel staff, Teotia got introduced to Pervin Batliwala. “She was the one who encouraged me to prepare for long distance runs,” tells Teotia. The training began three years back in 2014. After almost a year of training, in 2015, Praveen participated in the Mumbai Half Marathon under a different name. “I was wary of how the Navy would react, just in case I failed,” he reasons of running under a false name.
This was just a start for him. In 2016, he ran the Indian Navy Half Marathon. With these experiences, Teotia was a participant of the Half Iron Man Triathlon in Jaipur in March this year. The Triathlon involves a 1.9 km swim, 90 km bicycling and a 21 km run.
“However the Navy was not convinced that I was fit and I could not take many leaves for the marathons. Hence, I took voluntary retirement this July,” says Teotia who has no ill will towards the Indian Navy. “They have to go by the book. But I wanted people to know that I was the same man who was in the Taj operation as a commando. I had the right not to be forgotten,” he adds.
Post retirement, the gruelling training for the Khardung la Marathon began. Sharing how he prepared himself, Teotia says, “I was a diver in the Navy, so I knew how to maintain my stamina for a tough task. Here I had to increase my stamina because La is no child’s play.
At 18000 feet, oxygen is low and it is extremely tough for someone who has a damaged lung to put up for long. Hence I started running for 10 km at a stretch and then with some intervals I increased the distances. During my marathon training days, I also had the chance to meet the legendary Bachendri Pal. She too was a great source of encouragement for me. With the tips from such seniors and regular practice, I could do well in this marathon.”
And this is not the end for Teotia. Determined to be a source of inspiration for people who suffer from ailments and similar hardships, he wants to push himself further. He is training to be a part of the Australia triathlon to be held in November and Malaysia triathlon to be held in December. We salute this braveheart and his spirit of not letting anything pull him down.
