Grit and guts: Armless cyclist rides Singapore-Malacca road charity

THIS is an inspiring tale of gritty self-sacrifice of an armless para-cyclist who defied the odds to cycle from Singapore to Malacca over two days to raise funds for the underprivileged.

Jagwinder Singh pedalled his heart out for charity as he led 40 cyclists over 500km from Singapore-Malacca-Singapore in a riding expedition, befittingly called, ‘Ride To Serve 2019’ in aid of Sikh Welfare Council with the Singapore Khalsa Association (SKA).

He bravely battled the elements, unpredictable terrain and physical exhaustion, simply to prove that the “elements of sharing and giving, bonding and camaraderie” can be used for a value-added charity cause.

The SKA sponsored his trip from Patran in Patiala district of Punjab in north India as a value-add role-model to show that despite the enormous physical handicaps and facing hostilities throughout his life – from not getting an entry to a good school to financial hardships, and without any job and government support – he can achieve his longer-term dream of winning a Paralympics gold for India in cycling and becoming a drawing professor someday. 

ARTS TEACHER

The 25-year-old arts teacher admits that while he had to face “tremendous difficulties in life”, it wasn’t as if his life had turned upside down, as are in the cases of people who lose their body parts due to unfortunate incidents.

“I do not have both my hands since birth. So I did not have to deal with any traumatic situation physically, as I did not even know how it feels to be a person with hands,” he says.

His “never say die” motto has proved to be his biggest motivation. He has won several medals in cycling and drawing. A passionate drawing teacher, Jagwinder can even cook food with the help of his feet. He can also even work on a laptop!

He won the state gold medal in para-cycling organised by the Chandigarh Cycling Association in 2014. He bagged bronze in the International cyclothon held in Odisha in 2015. He completed the 212 kilometre cyclothon in nine hours and 15 minutes, organised by the Green Biker Association, Patiala, in 2014. He was awarded a gold medal for his artworks by the Indian Council for Child Welfare in 2000.

RICKY SAPURAN SINGH

Singapore actor-businessman Ricky Sapuran Singh, who spearheaded the weekend’s SKA-organised cross-country cycle-ride, praised Jagwinder for his “extraordinary and exemplary courage and determination”.

“We want to encourage more spirited Singaporeans to level up to society by reaching out to the less privileged. By using bicycles and going across the Causeway, every year, we want to spread the message of international goodwill and to raise funds so that others can continue and expand the welfare projects,” says the 57-year-old Sapuran Singh, a retired Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) major, now managing the biggest Bollywood entertainment arena, Moshi Moshi Bollywood, in Koek Road, off Orchard Road.

“Believe me, it was very physical, very demanding and even for a pro-cyclist, some of the terrain challenges would have been tough,” says Sapuran Singh, who has been involved in charity and community work for 22 years.

“Yet these are extraordinary people, like arm-less Jagwinder, who makes the commitment to perform such a daunting charity-driven task.

“I commend all the cyclists, including two women, too. The hours and mileage each cyclist has to put in are extensive. The obstacles our cyclists encountered cannot be compared to the adversity many of the underprivileged go through every day. It is heartening to witness our cyclists putting in the effort to help raise funds for a very good cause.”

PATRIOTIC SINGAPOREAN

Sapuran Singh, who last year made his Bollywood acting debut in the Hindi romantic-thriller, Pareshaan Parinda, as a Mafia don with outdoor scenes shot in Sydney (Australia), passionately believes in “giving back to society and taking ownership in the community I’m living in”.

He says: “I’m a patriotic Singaporean who has served the Singapore Armed Forces for 27 years, and as a businessman and grassroots leader, doing continuous charity work for over two decades.”

Sapuran Singh, whose property-businesswoman wife Puran Kaur is also a community-charity advocate, further stresses that the Sikh community, especially the younger generation,  continues, to “play an active charity role to benefit the less fortunate and underprivileged”.

SKA Chairman (Membership) Major (Retired) Tarlok Singh praised handicapped Jagwinder for making ‘Ride To Serve 2019’ – in aid of Sikh Welfare Council with the Singapore Khalsa Association – a “dream-come-true success”.

“We’re Sikhs living in non-Sikh territory but we invite every multi-racial blend of Singaporeans to partake in every SKA celebration and charity events in attempts to build and strengthen community ties,” he says. “Jagwinder from Punjab, armless but with the bravest personal spirits, showed we can achieve the impossible if we put our hearts and souls for charity. He’s truly an extraordinary Sikh global ambassador.”  – By SURESH NAIR

• Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based journalist who also covers SKA activities and believes in the Sikhs’ unwavering spirit to offer a helping hand to the under-privileged.

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