Disability isn’t always an obstacle to success, and A. Santana Dass proved to us Malaysians that even with a physical disability, a determined mind could still make big things happen.
source: oriental daily
source: oriental daily
On Thursday (25th April), he went on a solo ride on his motorcycle with his single arm around the Peninsula in just 24 hours!
According to Oriental Daily, he departed at 3:30 pm, riding all the way from Bukit Mertajam (BM), Penang to Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Port Dickson etc.! He then returned to BM at 3:30 pm the next day, totalling a stretch of 1,600km!
At completing this challenge, he earned the award for “Longest Distance Non-Stop 24 Hours ‘Single-Handed’ Motorcycle Ride” in the Malaysia Book of Records!
Santana said,
Disabilities will never stop me from trying anything that is new. The stigma and incorrect perception that people with disabilities do not want to, or cannot participate in sporting activities, is one of the biggest barriers that I would like to overcome.
According to NST, 36-year-old Santana lost his right arm in 2015 in a car crash on Macalister Road, Penang. But he didn’t give up on his dreams, and he felt even more driven to make his country proud on his modified Yamaha R25.
source: nst
Well, this wasn’t the longest journey he had travelled on his bike.
According to The Star, the longest journey he achieved was from Penang to Singapore in 2018, with a total of 6,063km! It’s not just a simple journey from Penang to Singapore — he actually departed on 16 September from Bukit Jambul to Bangkok, Thailand, then to Myanmar, and then heading back south to Singapore! He managed to return to Penang on 29 September!
Because of this challenge, Santana won a previous title in the Malaysia Book of Records, which is “Longest Distance Single-Handed (Disabled) Motorcycle Ride”!
Even without disabilities, we tend to whine and cry about giving up on the simplest things in life. Looking at Santana’s inspiring story, it’s time that we reflect on ourselves and be grateful for what we already have.
Also read: A Bunch of M’sians Worked Together to Help a Disabled Uncle at LRT Station
