Kerala's 55-year-old differently-abled man paddles 20 km in 5 hours: How he pushes limits

As a youngster riding through the waters of Vadikkalkadavil in Kerala's Pazhayangadi on boats rowed by his friends, Rafeeq Endiyil yearned to hold the oar himself. Yet his friends, unsure and afraid, withheld it from the boy born with a physical disability. Destiny, however, had other plans. On Tuesday, Rafeeq fulfilled that childhood dream by paddling a kayak for 20 kilometres from the Sulthanthodu stream to Payyambalam in just five hours. Braving adverse weather, he rowed all the way to the finishing point, sending a message on this World Disability Day that no barrier is strong enough to hold back a determined mind.

Pushing the limits
Fifty-five-year-old Rafeeq, son of the late K Yousuf and Fathima of Endiyil House in Pazhayangadi, was born with an impaired leg. Yet he consistently pushed past limitations. As a youngster, he stunned his village by learning to ride a single-wheel bicycle. Soon, he learned to drive as well.

When he applied for a driving licence, a doctor refused to issue a fitness certificate. Rafeeq took the issue to court, won his case, and obtained his licence in 1996. After completing a course in automobile engineering, he worked for ten years in Sharjah as a car mechanic. Later, he returned home and opened a kayaking training centre named Malabar Adventure.

The setbacks 
Rafeeq recollects that he eventually had to shut down the venture following a government order stating that persons with physical disabilities could not run a kayaking firm. Despite this setback, he focused his energy on training his daughter, E Swaliha, in swimming and kayaking, and she went on to win several national-level prizes.

His message
Rafeeq undertook the kayak ride on Tuesday to spread the message that there are no real limitations in the lives of people with disabilities. Filmmaker Prakashan Vadikkal flagged off the ride, and on his arrival, Rafeeq received a warm reception at Payyambalam from swimming trainer Charlsen Ezhimala and mouth-painting artist Sunitha Thrippanikkara. Rafeeq is married to K V Jasmine, and the couple has three children: Swaliha, Sameeha, and Muhammad Swabah.
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