Berhampur: Nothing can come in the way of steely determination. Gadadhar Sahoo of Ganjam district proved it and how! He is a bodybuilder but he is different because he has no legs. But that does not make him a lesser achiever.
Gadadhar’s world came crashing down when he lost both his legs in a train accident in Gujarat. He was just a teenager, carefree and looking forward to what life had in store for him.
At this juncture, his brother did not let Gadadhar’s spirit dampen. He came back to their home in Narendrapur village of Seragada in Ganjam. Gadadhar was always passionate about physical fitness, so his brother decided to motivate him to work in that direction to fight his depression. “He asked me not to blame my luck. I started watching videos and learnt to work out on my own. In 2015, I went on to win a gold medal at the junior level of Mr Odisha,” said Gadadhar.
The title gave Gadadhar the much-needed confidence but financial constraints prevented him from following his dreams. Youngest of seven siblings and having lost his parents, Gadadhar decided to help his brother at his fast food outlet.
However, all was not lost. Four years later, Gadadhar met his future trainer Dilip Kumar Mishra at his brother’s stall. Impressed by his physique, Dilip asked him to come and train at his gym.
“I was impressed by his endurance and physical strength despite having lost both his legs. But initially, he was intimidated by people working out in the gym but we motivated him to go ahead,” said Dilip.
One year later, the young bodybuilder went on to win the title of Ganjam Shri 2020 with eyes on a gold medal at both state and national level championships.
“What started with me motivating him to follow his passion, has now become motivational for several others, including me. Every single day Gadadhar proves what wonders grit and determination can do,” says Dilip beaming with pride.
Since bodybuilding incurs a lot of cost because of the special diet and supplements, both Gadadhar and Dilip hope that the Government can help the former’s financial situation. Gadadhar has made a special appeal to the CM with a vow to the state.
