What makes a teacher great?

Turning on the side of the bed, made me winch in pain and I started crying silently in bed. The only thought which kept crossing my mind was , it’s better to die than endure so much pain .

3 months ago in July 2019, I had a freak fall while running and had broken my femur bone. The pain was unbearable. Lying on the bed, dependent on my loved ones for every small daily need, made an active over hyper person like me so frustrated and depressed that I had such dark and sinister thoughts almost every day.

Before this unforeseen fracture, I had registered for running my first full marathon (42.2 km) in the prestigious Mumbai Marathon scheduled for January 2020.I was training with a running group Lakshya , mentored by Manoj Vanjari who apart from being a fitness guru is also a corporate coach and a mathematician. Teaching, coaching, mentoring runs in his genes and blood .

Post my fracture, I had lost all my hopes of again being on roads running, leave aside run for 42 km. Manoj would gently prod me to do upper body stretches and exercises . He would repeatedly tell me to be engaged despite lying on the bed. I remember once he told me , learn a new language , keep mind occupied .

After 3 months, I started taking baby steps towards standing on both my feet I started walking and could not keep pace with the group activities as they were training for some or the other running event. I still remember it was early November, and out of bolt , Manoj one day said , you still have more than 2 months for the marathon, you can still do it . I thought he was pulling a fast one on me and didn’t respond. Next day itself he sent me a running plan which would equip me to run my first 42 km. He also make a diet plan so that my protein, carbs and water intake would also be monitored. Mid November, one day I was still doing walk run, when a dog bit me and left me all bloodied on the road . The painful rabies injection along with the calcium injection ( Which I take daily as I have osteoporosis) would make me delirious with pain.

But Manoj kept his faith in me . Kept telling me, just take one step at one time, slow, steady but firm steps regularly. The first time I had to run 21 km post the dog scare, I was petrified and was paranoid seeing a dog even 200 metres faraway. Manoj and my running group Lakshya ran with me and kept on motivating me .

4 days before the event , I was bed ridden with vertigo . My body could not retain even water due to the continuous vomiting . I was heartbroken and knew now I could not participate in the Mumbai Marathon as leave aside running, I could not even get up from my bed.

What happened in the next 4 days has turned into a hazy memory for me . The only thing what I remember is that I ran and completed my first 42 km in a decent time for a first timer. All the obstacles, all the road blocks could not prevent me from achieving my goal. The unstinted faith which Manoj showed in me instilled confidence and courage and I dared to dream and then work towards achievement of my goal . A teacher is the one who not only guides and mentors you but leads by example and ensures that you cross the finish line whether in a marathon or in the race called life .