In 2007, Mohit Dobaria had a motorbike accident and he had then been told that he would not be able to walk again.

Said Mohit, 29, a store manager, “My right lower leg broke into two parts. I needed two operations and also had metal plates inserted into the leg. The doctor had told my father then, that the bones in the leg could not be joined together fully and that walking would be a challenge for me.”

Nothing was impossible

That incident was the turning point in Mohit’s life. And from then on, he developed the mindset that nothing was impossible, and he was determined to get back on his feet again.

Said Mohit, “I had wanted to prove to the doctor that he was wrong about me.”

And after about 11 months of being bedridden, Mohit slowly forced himself to start walking again, by using a walker for support at the beginning. Today, he can not only walk normally, but he is also able to run too, and has even chalked up some podium finishes in some of the local and regional races.

These include the 10km Salomon Trail Run 2013, where he came fifth with a finishing time of 39 minutes and 18 seconds, and the Men’s Health Urbanathlon 2014, when he had clinched sixth position. As well, he also emerged champion at the Spartan Sprint Race in Bintan in 2016, completing the course in 52 minutes and 42 seconds.

Mohit’s very first running race had been at the 10km event at the NTUC Income Run 350 in 2013. He finished that race in a humble 44th position, clocking a time of approximately 46 minutes. Said Mohit, “That was when I realised that I could run well.”

Strong mindset

Mohit, who says that he does not have a proper training regime, puts his good results down to his strong mindset and never-say-die approach that he had developed after his accident. Said Mohit, “I believe that it’s because my mindset is stronger than my body. I did wonder about what would happen if I had a training regime, but due to my long hours at work, I don’t always have the time to train properly.”

His mindset and never-say-die attitude, Mohit explains, was also the reason that he had managed to successfully complete 100km at the Twilight Ultra Challenge in 2014 – despite only having completed a maximum distance of 21km in a single run, prior to that.

Said Mohit, “I always listen to my mind. Even if my body tells me to stop but my mind tells me to carry on, then I will keep on going till the very end. I want to keep on challenging myself and always want to push my limits to get as far as I can go.”

Training depends on his moods

His training sessions depend very much on Mohit’s moods and to him, training is more of a playtime, where he typically does what he likes. Said Mohit, “I don’t really know much about proper running techniques but when I am training, I usually like carrying something to run. For example whenever I run at MacRitchie Reservoir I would pick up a wood block from the ground and carry it. I don’t count my kilometres run and I don’t monitor my running using GPS. I don’t carry water and drink when I run. I only drink when I am done.”

The wooden blocks that he carries to run, are usually fallen tree trunks or branches from the ground, and these can weight up to 20kg. Mohit estimates that he typically has so much fun that he can spend up to four to five hours in the MacRitchie trails.

Said Mohit, “I like spending time climbing the trees, running in the mud, and playing with and picking up the stones.”

And sometimes he will also spend time at the fitness areas that are found at most local parks and some HDB void decks – usually for around 30 to 45 minutes after a one to three hour training run at the nearby park. Said Mohit, “I don’t use the gym for exercise. I usually use the HDB fitness areas; I don’t go every day, but usually when I am free or when I feel like it.”

As well, Mohit also attributes his strength and fitness to his work, where he needs to carry cartons weighing up to 10 – 15kg.

This unorthodox type of training has helped him do well in terms of CrossFit style competitions such as the Garmin Fitness Challenge and the Get Rekt Challenge Singapore, both last year, and which typically comprise of strength exercises such as push ups, pull ups, squats and burpees.

Said Mohit, “I have focused my training more on fitness rather than running these days.”

Also enjoys wrestling

Besides running, the carefree Mohit also enjoys doing wrestling, which he has picked up recently. Said Mohit, “I like being an all rounder. I’m not focused on any one thing. People want success in one field, for example, to be a rich man. But I want everything. I try to be the best at everything I do.”

He continued, “I like all types of sports. I want to be able to go into any sport and I believe that I can be the best at it. I started out running but I recently tried out wrestling, and won three matches without knowing much about the rules of the sport.”

The wrestling competition that he had entered was the Singapore Wrestling National Open & Trials and in a best-of-five match bout, Mohit won three matches. Said Mohit, “With the right mindset, I knew that I could do myself proud. I wasn’t too surprised by the result because I climb regularly and I believe that had helped. Wrestling is all about technique.”

Carefree and never-say-die attitude to life

Mohit applies his carefree and never-say-die attitude to not only sports, but to life as well.

He explained, “Whatever I try, I want to do well and I enjoy trying new things. Not only in sport, but also in my job and profession too. I believe in keeping my mind active and I want to continue to train my mind. People want success in one field, but I believe I can achieve success in all the fields. To me, life is a series of challenges.”

web counter