Iron will: Karunakaran proudly standing with his prosthetic leg. He lost his right leg in an accident 13 years ago. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
SUNGAI PETANI: He may have cheated death in an accident. But he was unable to save his right leg from the knee down.
Refusing to accept his unfortunate fate on that day in 2011, Karunakaran Muttiah switched to wearing a prosthetic leg, subsequently becoming a long-distance bicycle and mountain trekker.
“The mishap changed the way I looked at life. I had a simple routine at work and at home.
“I was happy but there wasn’t much to look forward to,” the 54-year-old technician recalled.
Since 2012, Karunakaran has been a para-archer.
He trained at Universiti Utara Malaysia, competing for Kedah, and participated in the Malaysia Paralympics and later in Sukma.
In addition to Gunung Jerai, Gunung Baling, Terunai in Grik, Bukit Hi in Sungai Petani, Sungai Ular and Bukit Besar, he has hiked up Penang Hill numerous times.
“I have set my sights on the 2,171m Gunung Chamah in Kelantan next month. It is the sixth highest mountain in the country,” he said, expressing gratitude to Socso for covering the RM24,000 cost of the prosthetic limb.
“It took 10 months for me to recover. I began to do some cycling and hiking, which I was not used to back then.”
Within weeks of the prosthetic leg fitting, he learnt to drive using his left leg.
Karunakaran said while he led a serene, stable life before the accident, it was after the accident that he constantly felt the urge to get out and “seize the day”.
He recently returned from a 15-day trip to Mount Kailash in India, where he completed the 52km “girivalam” (a walk called “kora”, circling a sacred site around the base of Mount Kailash).
Completing the course was no easy feat, with 52km of rugged terrain, steep hills and treacherous rocks.
The race began at a staggering altitude of 4,600m and included a gruelling 5,600m pass.
“I fell a few times and the screws on my prosthetic leg loosened.
“My guide wanted me to take an ambulance to reach there by road but I refused,” Karunakaran said.
To further complicate matters, he neglected to bring his Allen key set, forcing him to limp until he found a motorcycle repair shop and borrowed one to tighten the screws on his prosthetic limb, enabling him to complete the journey.
To cycle, Karunakaran opted for a mountain bike with a shoe lock on his pedals to keep his prosthetic leg secured to the pedal.
He clocks about 60km a week on hilly and flat roads.
Karunakaran’s burning desire next year is to trek up the 4,095m Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.
“I’ve been preparing for this and working on my physical and mental fitness. Whatever I am doing is of my own free will,” he added.
The father of three is still with the same company where he worked before the accident.
“I must thank my wife and children, close friends, and hiking and cycling groups who supported me all the way during my recovery.
“If my life’s journey is to motivate people, I am glad to have added value to the well-being of others,” he said.
