TRIPLE AMPUTEE athlete, Rajesh Durbal will be in Trinidad as part of his “No Excuses” tour. The tour consists of motivational talks and several special activities which will take place from May 24 to 29. Ask Leadership in association with Live Free and Growing Leaders Foun- dation collaborated to make the tour possible. Durbal, 35, whose parents are Trinidadians, was born with a congenital deformity of both lower legs and his right arm. When he was one year old, both his legs were amputated below the knee. In addition he had surgery to replace bones in each leg and in his partial right arm. Durbal overcame his limitations to compete in sports which culminated in his participation in the Iron Man World Championships in Kona, Hawaii two years ago. He is hoping that his story inspires athletes and people who are handicapped to achieve their goals and compete in sports. Representative from the Growing Leaders Foun- dation, Ria Ramsundar welcomed the initiative and commended the organisers for trying to inspire disabled people in this country. “This collaboration is a very positive step for everyone in Trinidad and Tobago. This will bring new life and new ideas to all the organisations involved with people with disabilities. This is the first time that Rajesh will be coming to Trinidad and honestly, it’s becoming bigger and even better than we expected. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback from the media and interested persons,” Ramsundar said. She revealed that talks are ongoing to make Durbal an Ambassador for the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee. Durbal’s will compete in the annual Rainbow Cup Triathlon on May 25 in Tobago and a “Free-Lap” at the Queen’s Park Savannah on May 27. “This event at the Queen’s Park Savannah is one of the highlights of his trip. “We have invited all the organisations for the disabled in Trinidad and Tobago and the public for this “free-lap”. Here we will also do a lot of educating to the public on the major issues affecting local and international persons, living with a disability,” she said.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt