Embassy: Pedal for the Planet: 27th July 2014

As our first official event under the banner of Protons Sports and Fitness, we were all nervous about how the execution of the event would turn out.On paper, everything had been clearly defined and we were all raring to go and implement our perfectly planned out event. This event had been essentially Ankush’s baby. The planning had been on for about three months and he had essentially done over 8 route recce’s. Why so many? The answer is simple. With every passing week the requirements and the intended route was changed and so we had to go back to the drawing board each time. Then there was the details of getting permissions, the traffic police support and the million other issues which creep up when you intend to utilize public infrastructure.

The dates of the event were also pushed out at least twice to ensure that everything was on track before D-day. After multiple iterations with the Embassy team, we decided on the three categories that we would have at the first episode of the Embassy Pedal for the Planet. There would be the Open Individual 18K circuit, followed by the Team relay and finally ending it with the CXOs bike race.

After a lot of behind the scenes action, which I won’t bore you with, we forward onto 26th July 2014, the day before the event. 50 of us from the Protons team reached the venue at 2:30pm sharp for the debrief. Four hours later, we were all well equipped with the knowledge of the entire route and exactly what our role would be to ensure that the event goes smooth. A few factors such as the weather and technical skills of the cyclists were beyond our control but other than that the roles were simple and well-defined. As a safety measure, all the women volunteers were kept away from the traffic and at the start and finish point. Lucky for us that this is where all the action happens!

This was followed by a dry run with Praveen, Henna and Srikanth on the cycles. Vijay on his bullet was the lead vehicle with Ankush as his pillion and Runab as the customary kid on the Petrol tank on for a ride. 26th July also happened to be Vijay’s birthday so we ended the evening on a sweet note with cutting of the birthday cake.

With a start time of 8am, all volunteers were meant to report at the venue by 7am and in position by 7:30am. Ankush was at the venue overseeing the preparations the entire weekend. I woke up after a measly 2 hours of sleep at 5:20am and proceeded to the venue. Ankush and me are very lucky in the support we receive from our parents. They are the pillars of strength which support us in every endeavour of ours. I have recently been advised to go on a specific diet to help with my healing so mum had woken up even earlier and packed my meals for the duration of the event. Mum and Dad were also kind enough to come to the event and volunteer at strategic locations to help us out.

As I was driving to the venue, I started getting phone calls from the volunteers confirming that they are on their way as well. As I turned into the venue to park, I got that feeling – “this is going to be a glorious day”. There was a buzz and there were cyclists by the drove. The first person I saw at the venue was Aditya Sreevatsa, my best mate of decades who has recently come back for an extended vacation. He was standing at the entrance flashing the biggest grin and completely fired up about volunteering for the event. As we made our way to the debrief zone, we could see the sudden rise in the number of cyclists. 10 minutes later, Mum, Dad and Clap found their way to us. By 7:00am sharp all volunteers were present. After a headcount and a quick debrief by Ankush, all of us made our way to our respective locations.

Aditya and me made our way to the entrance to guide all cyclists to the bike and helmet rental zone and thereafter the bike check pit. We had to ensure that everyone was in the appropriate gear and following the safety requirements before they headed towards the bike check. After a technical check, the participants were sent over to the Holding Area. With MJ Brijosh on the mike, the crowd was quite well entertained.

At sharp 8, we started the first event. And off went the cyclists. For many, this was their first ever cycling event. There was also a lot of entertainment provided for the crowd as they were waiting for the cyclists to return. It was a fair of sorts, from catering provided by the Hilton to the mechanical bull, body painting stall, Angry Birds et. all. Dharma and myself were running around all over Zone 1 – from getting the riders for the next category ready to ensuring that everything was in order at the Bike-check pit, the holding area and any other issues that the participants were facing. 9:30am, saw the start of the next event. This event sailed by just as smooth. We also took turns in getting onto the sidelines and cheering the participants on. 11am saw the final event start – on the dot.

Meanwhile, all the participants had started coming up to confirm that they had indeed enjoyed the event and the fiesta that was arranged for them after. Before we knew it, it was 12:30pm and the events for the day had concluded. The podiums had been announced and the champagne bottles had been sprayed. Everyone seemed to be in a happy and cheery mood. The smile that was pasted on everyone’s face said it all.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to the entire team of Volunteers which ensured that the event went through seamlessly. A special mention of the Proton Trainers who made it inspite of running their Half and Full marathons the day before at TRORT006 and doing so with a smile – I adore each one of you so very much. And to everyone of the volunteers, I am grateful for two things. Firstly, for being punctual and secondly, for handling the stress and variety of issues which crop up at the last minute in your stride, just so gracefully. Pankaj and Poonacha from the Art of Bicycle tours for collecting a wide variety of bikes and making them available at such short notice for rentals. A huge thanks to all the participants who came to the venue bright eyed and bushy tailed and in the highest of spirits. Flashbulbbz photography for being the ever smiling team that captures the candid moments of such events. The Embassy team, special mention of Hrishika, Felix, Rohan and Amit – you guys are a very special bunch and it was so much fun working with you. Finally, the biggest Thank You goes out to Ankush, who has single handedly visualized this event and made it happen as per his vision inspite of so many trying times. You, my friend, are a winner. There have been numerous times when the two of us have had discussions and arguments with him claiming : “ TimTim – I am an event man and I will make it happen!” I am a strong believer of “Actions speak louder than words.” This time, your actions and the entire event said it all. Kudos- to you, to the event and to the entire team. As they say, there is no “I” in team and this team my friend is an absolute Winning combination.

Now looking forward to the Protons Communal Run on the 2nd August at the Bangalore University, followed by the 12-Hr stadium Run on the 3rd August. It’s a busy week – scratch that – it is a busy year ahead. Looking forward to seeing you all this weekend.

#cyclothon #Embassypedalfortheplanet #Protons #protonssports