Today, Daily Life Dose would like to introduce its readers from such a man who has transformed his love of cycling into the mission of making people aware of the life-threatening disease ‘Cancer.’ An avid cyclist, fervent traveler and curious explorer, Anirban Acharya of Kolkata have been spreading the message of “Cancer Awareness and Better Living” by peddling his bicycle from years now. Anirban till now have traveled around 17,000 kilometers on his bicycle and have made people of 25 States and four Union Territories of India aware of cancer. Apart from India, this avid cyclist has touched Bangladesh too in the first phase of his World Tour. The ultimate target of Anirban is to touch 100 countries of all the seven continents of the world in his cancer awareness mission. Here are the excerpts:-
Q) Why you choose cancer among all other fatal diseases for your awareness mission?
In the present day healthcare scenario, cancer has emerged as the greatest scourge of mankind. This is a grave fact that around 15 million new cases of cancer are detected globally every year and it engulfs life of almost eight million people every year. Today, cancer has become the leading cause of death worldwide. Here are some eye-opener facts –
- Cancer is the second largest killer disease of the world
- Cancer is the primary cause of 12 per cent deaths
- By 2020 there would be a cancer patient in each family as per the studies
I got really moved by these heart-wrenching facts; hence I chose cancer for running my awareness campaign.
Q) How do you see your mission as a solo adventure cyclist?
Being an avid cyclist, I have traveled across India and Bangladesh and have touched millions of lives till now for my cause.
The following words of Swami Vivekananda have made immense impact on my mind and it motivated to embark me upon this one man mission –
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; the dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the body, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced.”
Cancer is a curable disease if it is detected early. Almost 50 types of cancer happen due to following the wrong lifestyle. Evidence tells us that if we increase efforts to improve earlier presentation and diagnosis of cancer, it will save precious lives. Hence, various awareness campaigns focus on early detection and this approach has also saved millions of lives till now.
Q) Why you decided to travel by bicycle for your mission?
Bicycling is considered as one of the most effective low-impact exercises that also allow a person to be close to nature. It has been observed that with increasing level of pollution, cycling could be the most viable alternative for commuting within a city and it also saves gas consumption. For many, bicycling may be a race against each other or to win distances in a rally or simply the pleasure of adventure. It has been proven beyond doubt that bicycling is the mode of transport of the future.
Q) What motivates you to travel kilometers every day for your mission?
I started pedaling when I was in school. With my bicycle, I traveled in West Bengal and learn how to make simpler life, don’t worry how much money you have, if the path is beautiful, confirm where it leads but if the destination is beautiful, don’t bother how the path is — just move on. This has been my motivation to travel more and more.
Q) Elaborate your love for travel?
I have been wanderlust by nature since my childhood days. I have visited different places in India not only for mere traveling but to know about the people of my beautifully diverse country. Traveling to historical places, pilgrimage, the seaside, forests, different towns, mountains have helped to know me about the varied culture and rituals of this vast country. India is really a place of pomp and grandeur and I have witnessed this from very close by traveling on my bicycle.
Q) Which countries you have planned to travel in the next phase of your mission?
My next phase of the world tour will start very soon. I have decided to travel towards Southeast Asia this time and the countries like Myanmar, Thailand, Leos, Vietnam Malaysia Singapore Indonesia etc will be in the list of my journey.
The journey of my adventure will go on forever………
