You teach a man, you teach a man. You teach a woman, you teach a generation
Sucheta Kadethankar
51 days, 11 hours and 40 minutes is what 33-year-old Sucheta Kadethankar took to cross the grueling 1000 mile (1623 km) stretch of the largest desert in Asia. The scorching heat of over 45 degrees and a dislocated shoulder didn’t stop Sucheta from realizing her dreams to become the first Indian women to successfully cross Asia’s largest and the world’s fifth largest Desert, Gobi Desert. She was a part of a 13-member expedition that saw participation from all across the world led by desert explorer Ripley Davenport. Born and brought up in Kasba Peth Pune, she currently works as a Principal Information Developer in a software company, a History graduate, Sucheta worked as a journalist for a Marathi newspaper before she realized her true calling – her passion for trekking and endurance.
A sports enthusiast, Sucheta has been a part of Mount Everest Base Camp, Delhi – Mumbai – Pune Marathon andEnduro 3 Race in Sahayadri Hills.But the Gobi expedition was different! With no external motivation, Sucheta not only braved the blisters and scorching heat (45 degrees Celsius), but walked an average of 33 km every day in that arid land. A lot of her team members kept dropping out but giving up was not an option for her. Recalling the hardships, the first Indian to cross the desert says, “We would get water every five days or so. Most of it was stored for drinking… we cleaned ourselves with wet wipes.” Reportedly, none of them had a bath for almost two months.
She knew that the joy of completing her journey would be far greater than the pains that came along, like getting her arm dislocated. She held on to those joys and achieved her dream against all odds. Her mantra was simple – “When you think its your limit, it actually is not.”
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