Gob-I-smacked by a girl’s tribute

She is the youngest Indian woman to complete the Gobi march earlier this year, She did it in the name of her late sibling

Prerna Choudhury, was the only Indian participant in the Gobi March race this year, and has set the record for the youngest Indian woman to complete a four deserts race. But not everyone knows that this is a girl who finished something her brother started last year. An accident that changed everything for her. Her brother died on a hiking trail in the Arizona Desert canyons. “My younger brother, Rhishav Choudhury passed away last year during a strenuous hike. He was passionate about hiking, and loved to push his limits in the great outdoors. I was the opposite, choosing to confine myself to a treadmill and a cubicle. However, I vividly remember, that in our last conversation, I was complaining about the challenges of my job, and how work was a constant uphill battle. He, on the other hand, told me about the hike he was going on, and how much he looked forward to being out in the wild, stark desert,” says Prerna, the daughter of retired IPS officer, J.N. Choudhury.

The 250-km Gobi March was a commemoration and celebration of his life. “I also just wanted to see what on earth he could find beautiful in a desert, a place that has never really appealed to me and that I wouldn’t automatically connate with beauty. The Gobi March has definitely left in me if not an appreciation, a profound and deep respect for the desert, and I have my brother to thank for that,” says the 26-year-old from Assam.

The Gobi March is a 250-kilometer, six-day (and one rest day), self-supported endurance foot race organised by the 4 Deserts Race Series, which organises footraces in Namibia, China, Chile and Antarctica.

“It was incredible, the toughest thing I’ve put my body and mind through, and I’ve definitely come out on the other side as a stronger person. We began with an ascent of almost 3,000 m into the Tian Shan mountain range, where the temperatures dropped to 0 degrees, and ended in the harsh Black Gobi desert in scorching 50 degree heat. Each day, we’d cover a distance of approximately 40 km that needed to be completed by a certain cut off time, except for one stage, appropriately named the “Long March”, where we were required to complete 80 km in under 29 hours. The route throughout the week was beautiful, whether high up in the mountains or down in the desert. Not only did I learn a lot about my mind and body during that week, but I also gained a wealth of information just by interacting with my tent mates, fellow participants, and amazing management team,” explains Prerna.

Training for an expedition like this is tough but not extreme. “Climbing up the Tian Shian mountain pass, which involved following a goat trail around a mountain, was a difficult moment. I kept reminding myself that if Gengis Khan and his Mongol army were able to do this, so could I (even though, in retrospect my logic here is quite faulty, as I’m sure Gengis Khan and his men were far more used to conquering lands than I was used to traversing mountain ranges). The 80-km stage was challenging too, as temperatures were scorching and sometimes, there was literally no shade for miles. At one point, low on water, a predatory bird in the sky, nothing but cracked desert till the horizon and not a soul in sight, I really began to question my completing the stage,” says Prerna and credits yoga for helping her physically and mentally.

When asked for her satisfying moment, Prerna’s response is instant, “Nothing beats the feeling of seeing the finish line at the end of each day. Heavy drumming would commence from camp, signaling the approach of a runner, and as you would enter, participants and volunteers would cheer you on.”

Apart from the finisher’s medal, Prerna was awarded the Cable-French Award for completing the race for an inspiring cause, at the awards ceremony in Hami, China, on June 29, 2016. The organisers summed it beautifully: “Not everyone may know that there is a girl here who finished something her brother started last year.”

A journey like hers that covers such a vast distance would have had many joyful and memorable moments that left a very positive impact on her journey, she says, “For me, the most memorable part of the Gobi March was the people I’ve met. Runners are really an amazing and inspiring community of people. During the race, my tent mates would always give me tips and encouragement at the end of the day. And there were the competitors who kept the same pace as me — they encouraged, motivated, and were there when I began to feel dispirited.”

After this, there is always room for more adventurous trips, says Prerna, who has worked at the World Bank in research till May 2016, “I’m not sure about what my ultimate adventure consists of, but there are many more deserts left for me to conquer in memory of my brother. I do know one thing, though.”