Day 12, July 26, Hubli to Belgaum
Distance – 120 kilometres
Duration – 10 hours
When Sunita woke up to the alarm at 4:30 am in the morning feeling that she had just slept her first thoughts were ”There is no way I can cycle today”. Her muscles were stiff and aching and she could barely keep her eyes open. But her indomitable spirit got the better of her as she reminded herself of the limitless potential the human mind and body have- there is just a need to stretch oneself. Who would know this better than Sunita who has climbed Mount Everest at the age of 25 years and wants to climb all 14 peaks which are more than 8000 metres.
She was up and about – ready to cycle by 6:am . She waited restlessly for a group ofcyclists to join her for somedistance and it was almost 7:00 am by the time the group took off. The cyclists accompanied her for 15 kilometres. Breakfast had been arranged for her on the highway in a local restaurant by agroup of residents from Hubli. Afterbreakfast she carried on alone with her journey.
Today the going was a little tough for the Everester with a die hard attitude- sleep deprivation was taking its toll. All Sunita wanted was to reach her destination and catch up on her sleep. As she crossed the village of Kittur she got chatting with a lady who admired Sunitas courage and passed on a bit of trivia to her. She proudly told her that Sunita was right now in the land of one of the bravest woman warriors of Karnataka, the legendary Rani Chennamma who fought the British East India Company in 1824. She suggested visiting the Kittur Chennamma Fort which is a prominent tourist attraction of Karnataka and is also a symbol of women pride.
By 4:30 pm she had entered the town of Belgaum . The next task was to look for a place to stay the night which took some time . By the time she found a hotel , checked in and settled in her room it was well past 7:00. She had fans here too-people who had heard of her and wanted to see this incredible lady with an indomitable spirit who was attempting this 4200 kilometre journey on a cycle and that too all alone. She met them inspired them and conveyed her message to them
“The human mind and body have limitless potential. Take on challenges and stretch yourself. You will be surprised to see what you are capable of achieving”
