Huafrid Billimoria defied all odds to secure bronze at 2023 Asia Triathlon Para Championships

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New Delhi June 20: Huafrid Billimoria Indian para-athlete made the country proud by winning a bronze medal in triathlon at the 2023 Asia Triathlon Para Championships in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Huafrid - the 27-year-old triathlete with multiple disabilities - has consistently shattered barriers and achieved extraordinary feats in the world of sports.

Huafrid Billimoria's journey to success has been marked by numerous groundbreaking achievements:

# Huafrid is the FIRST individual with dystonia in the world to swim 10 km in open waters back-to-back in a year's span.

# He's the FASTEST PERSON with dystonia to complete a Full Ironman

# FIRST Person with a disability in the world to bag 3 Ironman podiums in Dubai, South Africa and Goa in the PC Category.

# FASTEST INDIAN with a disability to complete a half (Ironman Dubai) and full Ironman at Ironman South Africa where only 2 out of 5 People with disabilities completed the race.

# He is only the second Indian with a disability and second in the entire world with dystonia to complete an ironman comprising of a 3.9km Swim, 180 km Bike Ride and a 42 Km run one after the other.

# Huafrid is also the FIRST PERSON in the WORLD with Dystonia to swim for 12 hours nonstop covering 17.3 PLUS km in that span off the beach of Juhu and in Kasarsai Dam.

# A National Triathlon winner in his category at Chennai

# Selected to represent India Internationally and then through tough competition, he landed on the podium with a Bronze in just his first international race representing India in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

The win in Uzbekistan was against 4-5 Individuals who were from Japan and Uzbekistan, the two Japanese had a previous international experience of 20 plus races, and the conditions were harsh.

The athletes had to brave 37 Degrees Celsius Plus head with strong humid winds gushing but Huafrid was determined to get the podium that's just how he goes into every race.

That is his mindset plain and simple because he has had a very traumatic childhood beyond imagination which he uses as fuel to reach his goals. The first segment of a triathlon is a swim and Huafrid is a self-taught swimmer due to various clubs/pools/coaches being unavailable/not being accommodative due to their personal constraints.

This is where India needs to help this para triathlete out, this is where he has to improve the most to win a gold medal for India. He had a puncture just before the day of the event with no spare wheel, tire, or tube, and guess what there isn't any Road bike shop in all of Uzbekistan.

Some 'jugaad' later he finally found a tube and fixed his bike with the help of his coach, he yet had a flat tyre scare in the race too where he felt he had a puncture and the harsh winds bashing him left, right and center.

But all he could do is ride on regardless of it and accept it unconditionally as he did with all his disabilities. In the last leg, running through hot humid conditions where it was as hot as frying an egg on the street.

He collapsed with painful sunburns and extreme cramping/Involuntary Dystonic Movements at the finish line to secure a Bronze for the country in the World Asian Championships and go where no Indian has ever gone and won.