Between January 21 and 23, a 43-year-old doctor and a 37-year-old housewife rode over 800 kilometres from Thane to the Statue of Unity in Kevadia, Gujarat, to raise awareness about fitness and tourism.
Dr. Ashvini Ganpatye and Dhanashri Gokhale of Chiplun, Ratnagiri, walked the same route back between January 26 and 28. The doctor works as a medical officer at Ratnagiri's Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme.
Dr Ganpatye and Gokhale have both been cycling for nearly six years. Gokhale accomplished 200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km in the time allotted by the Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRMs). Dr. Ganpatye only accomplished 200km and 300km of cycling according to BRM guidelines, yet he pedaled to Goa. Dr. Gokhale has two children, whereas Gokhale has one child.
The two rode from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway to reach the Statue of Unity. They stopped for rest in Vapi and Ankleshwar on their way out, and in Vadodara and Charoti on their way back.
"Even though we live in Ratnagiri, we avoided the Mumbai-Goa highway due to its poor state. Thane is our choice for safe cycling. However, while cycling, we spotted a wrong-way driver on the highway, which is dangerous. We had traffic problems in Maharashtra, but we had both traffic and accommodation problems in Gujarat, said Gokhale, adding that because they were women, they "covered their residential and other details halfway whenever requested for safety concerns."
"Daily cycling, in addition to weekend long rides, has always kept us fit," Dr. Ganpatye remarked. Cycling with the inconsistent movement of motorists on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway is a substantial stumbling obstacle."
If you are planning to visit the statue of unity with friends and family, then we recommended that you book your statue of unity tickets online so you can avoid long queues.