Meet Dr Ali Poonawala, 65, The Bicycle Man Of Bangalore

As the world is gearing up for World Bicycle Day on June 3, here's the inspiring tale of Dr Ali Poonawala, 65, a well-acclaimed urologist in Bangalore who uses his bicycle to keep the child within him alive.

"I love to feel the wind in my hair when I am on my bicycle, pedalling across the busy streets of Bengaluru," says Dr Poonawala whose excitement about cycling knows no bounds.

His passion has now become a habit. Dr Poonawala has not used his four-wheeler for years. He enjoys commuting on his bicycle, be it to his workplace which is 7 kilometers away from his home, or to fetch groceries or to his favourite places to unwind. He believes his love for pedalling has given him back enough. Talk about his lively spirit and stress-free mind; his endeavours towards raising funds for charity or his desire to ignite the passion of cycling among senior citizens and you can see how his bicycle has remained a dear friend throughout the journey. Dr Poonawala has been to Pune from Bangalore and to Coorg from Mysore on his bicycle. "Whenever there is an opportunity, I try to cycle."

How did cycling begin for him? We will have to go back to his childhood when Dr Poonawala was crazy about touring his neighbourhood on his bike. However, as he grew up, academics and career outweighed his fondness for cycling until 2010 when it was re-ignited after watching a television ad. He joined a cycling community in Whitefield, Bangalore and the rollercoaster ride began. He was 55 and started taking part in cyclothons which involved pedalling for 20 to 25 kilometres. This broke his fear of traffic and today he commutes only on his bicycle.

"When you cycle you become fit by default. It is a cardio exercise to be specific. Whatever road you take, there are always ups and downs. Ups become a challenge then and you can take them at a different speed and it becomes cardio exercise. It also reduces your frustration and makes you stress-free. It saves your time and you do not have to wait in the traffic for hours," says Dr Poonawala who has a strong family trait of cardiac issues. Cycling has helped him to improve his cardiac health to a great extent, also improving his balance sensory system and reflexes.

Dr Poonawala believes that joining a cycling community can be an excellent way of social engagement among the seniors. "The group energy is very positive and you will have like-minded people with whom you can connect well and they, later on, become your guide and mentors. I was lucky that the Bangalore Bikers Club is there. It is a Google group and for me, it has become a knowledge-sharing platform. I get to know about so many things related to cycling, say appropriate diet or the importance of remaining hydrated and more. There are many other cycling communities these days and I would always recommend seniors to join such groups," he says.

The avid cyclist is keen about helping others in mastering the art of pedalling and practising it on a regular basis. He is a part of Bangalore Bicycle School, a social services organisation that teaches adults who want to come back to cycling or are new learners of cycling. Dr Poonawala believes that age is just a number when it comes to learning or polishing your cycling skills and he takes great pride in having taught cycling to several senior citizens above 60. He has trained about 200 cycle enthusiasts and his senior-most student was a 66-year-old woman who runs her errands on a bicycle now. In fact, most of his students are women.

According to Dr Poonawala, if you are a senior citizen and do not have very serious cardiac issues, you can take up cycling at any time. There are no medical reasons why a senior citizen cannot cycle. All you need is to win the fear, be confident and have a sharp eyesight and hearing power.

Mail us at connect@silvertalkies.com if you want to be a part of the Silver Talkies' World Bicycle Day initiative, 'Peddle Your Blues Away' on June 6, 2020, Saturday at 04:30 PM and hear Dr Poonawala speak about his bicycle journey.