Following is the story of a man whose undying passion and single minded love for what he did kept him going even against the odds. A resident of Ludhiana in Punjab, Anand Arnold is a young man who will give goose bumps to anyone listening to his astonishing story.
With a dream of becoming a professional body builder one day, Arnold joined the gym under the guidance of his elder brothers at a tender age of 13. Only within a few months of hitting the gym, Arnold was able to develop a slender but magnificent physique and soon began to participate in local competitions and even win against competitors that were twice his age.
At 15, he already had many students enrolling to learn from him. By this time, he was the talk of the town and was moving steadily towards his goal when an unfortunate incident put everything in his life at a shrieking halt. He was rushed for medical aid when he felt shooting pain in his lower back. Upon diagnosis, it became apparent that Arnold had a fist-size tumour in his back with the doctors giving him only a week to live.
Although the tumour was successfully thrown out of Anand’s body, but the surgery had left him paralysed from neck down. After three years of being completely bedridden. Three years of relentless physiotherapy helped him retrieve sensations in his upper body but by this time it was clear that from the waist down, every part will be numb. The energetic and enthusiastic Arnold had lost all hopes from life.
Remember the students who learned from him when he was 13? They were angels who helped get back on his strengths and make the most of what he had. After continuous persuasions and coaxing Arnold to get back to the gym, he finally went back to the familiar place he called home. After regular pestering by his students, Arnold slowly started making his upper body powerful and soon realised that this was what he was always meant to do.
He found out ways to work out without the leg support; tied his legs to a bench but never looked back from there. It was just a matter of a year that he regained his upper body muscle strength. Spending four hours at the gym, he made a spectacular body without any steroids. His daily diet included one kg chicken, 30 eggs and two litres of milk.
And then his soulful journey of ups began. Arnold became India’s first wheelchair bodybuilder acclaiming national and international awards. Currently, 28, he has been approached by two directors for a biopic on his inspirational life. He also has a book written on him by American author Allen Wootlman.
He has everything that he once dreamt of having. Even though his legs are crippled, his dreams and determination never were. A status on one of his social networking says, “I don’t know how my story will end. But nowhere in my text will it ever read- I GAVE UP”.
