(Trinidad Guardian) There’s no stopping Rajesh Durbal from achieving his goals. The triple-amputee just loves challenges. He drives stick-shift, runs, swims, rides, skis, among other activities and his academics are totally covered; he has a five-page impressive curriculum vitae. In fact, the 35-year-old is a senior network engineer based in the United States.
Born to Trinidadian parents, Durbal says he’s “a wild man.” He was the world’s first triple-amputee to compete in the famous Iron Man Triathlon in Hawaii, not once, but twice. He said taking part took him out of his comfort zone. “I’ve learned to embrace an adversity and take it on as a challenge,” he said.
The Iron Man triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organised by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break. Durbal was born with a congenital deformity in his legs and left arm and by the time he was a year old, his legs were amputated below the knees.
Durbal underwent surgery to replace bones in his upper legs and partial right arm. He was fitted with prosthetic legs. Despite his physical difference, he doesn’t feel inferior. The triathlete is in T&T as part of the motivational “No Excuses” tour which is being held in collaboration with his foundation–Live Free, Ask Leadership Ltd and the Growing Leaders Foundation.
He was also expected to participate in the eighth annual Rainbow Cup Triathlon in Tobago yesterday. A “Free-Lap” event is scheduled at 3 pm today at the Queen’s Park Savannah. Durbal spoke with the Sunday Guardian on Thursday in the presence of his mother, Anne, and the team of the No Excuses Tour–Nigel Wall, Meredith Novack and Rhea Ramsundar.
Bullied and ridiculed
As a child in second grade, Durbal was bullied, ridiculed and harassed. He said when he was nine he realised he couldn’t do certain activities. “Growing up was very difficult. “I was always picked on, bullied…I was an outcast, called names, never included into events or activities,” he said. Anne said it was a very emotional experience. She said she used her faith to guide her forward. Durbal’s sister, his younger and only sibling, was very supportive and helpful, Anne said. He said the taunts were traumatic. They even led to him feeling suicidal. He said: “I was called every name in the book you can think of.
“Retarded, crippled, Captain Hook, Plastic Man, Inspector Gadget. “It was too traumatising…kids are very cruel.” Children also made fun of his name and he wanted badly to have it changed. Faced with constant mockery, Durbal said there were times he did not want to be awakened in the morning for school.
There were times he did not want to live. He said he received counselling during his tormenting years but it never worked; he later found his strength in God. “I had no one to talk to or be around, I was just a loner,” he said. He joked he was non-existent in women’s eyes. When he obtained his driver’s licence and a car at age 17, Durbal said his life started to change.
Rise above the challenges
Durbal was “saved” from the despondency and misery during Easter of 2006 when “everything really radically started changing.” He said: “I had all the good, good stuff around me but I was just empty. “I started going to church and decided to give it a shot. “All the materials things were just not good enough.”