On June 26, Andre Kajlich crossed the finish line of the Race Across America. He took 12 days, 16 hours and 18 minutes to do that. Dozens of cyclists also reached the target- as solo riders or as a team. So what is great about Andre? What makes his story so incredible? Why did people have tears in their eyes when they watched Andre finishing the race?
Andre has no legs. He lost them 14 years back when a speeding train ran over his legs. He was 23 then, a student in the Czech Republic.
Rescued from near death, he spent three months in the hospital, before he went home, in a wheelchair. His legs were amputated above the knee and doctors thought that he had no option but to spend all his life in a wheelchair.
Andre had other ideas. He hated being dependent. And he worked hard to overcome his handicap. He took to hand cycle and over the years, competed in some of the world’s most difficult cycling races, and to everyone’s disbelief, completed them. He dismisses his handicap with a characteristic nonchalance, “The lack of one hip joint, two knees, two ankles, and a couple of feet does make it pretty difficult to get around, but after eight years I’ve gotten pretty used to it.”
Andre never despaired, nor did he ever lose hope. When asked what he felt after he had lost both legs, he said, “After the accident, I felt invincible. My body had been smashed and I was all but dead but made it through. So I figured I was pretty tough to kill. Besides, I figure, how much more messed up could I get?”
Andre lost his legs that fateful night, but not his will to fight. A placard on his handcycle beautifully describes his positivity, “No legs but a strong Heart!”
Andre works very hard to achieve what others think is seemingly impossible. He believes that setting impossible goals and chasing dreams can come to naught unless you make it happen – day in, day out. He wrote on his website, “RAAM not only demands intensive training, mental fortitude, logistical planning, but also the love of family and friends”. And he showed his willpower by his never-say-die attitude as he cycled across the 12 states to finish the 3143- mile long Race Across America, a race that sees half the highly motivated participants drop out because they run out of steam.
Amit Samarth and Sachin Palewar— a member of his crew—crossed Andre dozens of times during the race, amazed by the speed with which he was pushing his hand cycle. In fact, in the first half of the race, Andre was almost breathing over the ankles of several distinguished cyclists, giving them a run for their money!
He supports the Amputee Coalition of America’s Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp and hopes “that every single child who has lost a limb to trauma, disease, or was born with a limb difference, gets to come to this camp to learn, try new things, and share experiences with those who understand.”
Congratulations, Andre! The way you use your prosthetic legs will inspire and motivate hundreds of thousands, helping them discover a new meaning in their life.