Whatever gives you the kick!

Gurnaaz Kaur

If life is all about managing work and daily household chores, complacency sets it. That can be dangerous and therefore, one definitely needs a break from such a routine. 

But if you are an adrenaline junky and thrill seeker, this break could mean climbing mountains, diving into the sea, cycling your way to hills and more.

We met up with people who live by Helen Keller’s words, ‘Life is either a great adventure or nothing’. They grab all the chances that life throws upon them and turn them into an adventure.

Rallying point

Parishrut Jinha runs a farmstay and is a motorsport enthusiast. He has participated in many rallies and off-road adventures. 

“My passion for adventure became my stress buster. It took in 80+ podium awards and taking it up a notch and being runner-up at the Autopix Championship to realise that my ‘kick’ in life is what keeps me at bay from all the stress. I have been associated with Raid de Himalaya, Desert Storm, Indian Baja and Sajoba Sub-Himalayan rally.”

For a cause

Michaelangelo Francis is an art-photography-music teacher at St. John’s High School. His idea of a break is exploring new destinations on his bike. “Whenever there is an off, I along with my family and friends, travel to some new place. I love meeting new people, trying different food, enjoying nature. Sometimes we make trips only to spread awareness about traffic rules, save the girl child, saving the environment at every destination we go and pass through.”

Sky high 

Mona Chopra is a geriatrician. She has been into several adventure activities since childhood and never leaves an opportunity to try something new. 

“My husband and I have been into mountain biking since the last 7-8 years and have participated in various races, including MTB Shimla two years in a row and won podium. I love to climb rocky mountains. I have done sky diving, scuba diving, paragliding, parasailing, white water rafting .”

Crest & trough 

Amri Grewal is an architect and she loves mountains and sea equally. This licensed mountaineer and scuba diver did her first trek at the age of five. She says, “With such activities, not only do you confront your fears emotionally and mentally, but you also hone your survival skills and push your physical limits in the face of all odds. I try to get in a couple of treks/expeditions to places in either the Garhwal Himalaya or West Sikkim Himalaya. My husband and I are scheduled to dive in September end in Indonesia.”

On hot wheels

Jagmeet Gill is a professional car rallyist. “I have been into motorsports for almost a decade. I have been travelling and camping in the Himalayas especially in Spiti Valley for 10-12 years. Life would be so ordinary and mundane without these activities.”

For the love of nature

Puneeta Sandhu is the primary wing coordinator at Learning Paths School, Mohali. It is her love for nature that prods her to take up outdoor activities. “I love outdoor adventure activities like high-altitude trekking, paragliding, white river rafting, cycling, bird watching and visiting national parks. Every summer I go for a high-altitude trek with my family or friends. This time I went with a group through a company where I met people of all age groups.”