Sailing high

In 2008,N K Mahajan,at the age of 88,became the oldest parasailor of India. He had set this record twice before in 2003 and 2007. And the man behind the scenes,who encouraged him,supervised his flight and made the record possible was Munje. He smiles,“It was important that he updated his record. After his 2003 flight,I saw that he was fit enough even four years later,so I goaded him to do it again in 2007. The training I impart includes expert tips on what to do and what to expect. I try my best to anticipate everything. At times,I do get nervous that the media will immediately highlight mistakes or failures,but fortunately,nothing has gone wrong till now.”

Munje,who originally hails from Nagpur,began training students in 1981. He was lured into the world of adventure after his trek to the Himalayas as an NCC cadet. He reminisces,“That trek was a rare opportunity to stay at a military establishment and climb an unnamed peak. In fact,we named the peak Tanaji Peak so as to put Maharashtra on the Himalaya map.” He then set up a mountaineering club in Nagpur,before founding the Bhonsala Adventure Foundation,a sister concern of the Bhonsala Military School,Nashik,that was started by his grandfather. His chosen profession then took him to different cities,including Pune,where he continues to instruct and guide students while himself climbing peaks and sharpening his skills. In fact,13 years ago,he even set a record of paragliding from the Kalsubai Peak (the topmost point in Maharashtra) and even today,“no one has challenged that record,” he smiles.

In the 2000s,after 20 years of experience,Munje’s infectious passion for parasailing and paragliding passed on to specially-abled people. “There are two reasons why I trained,encouraged and supervised flights of visually challenged and physically handicapped students. One,it’s a natural thought that they can’t do these activities and thus are deprived of the thrill. So I took up the social task of spreading the message,through their example,that everyone can parasail. Secondly,I’ve realised that people these days spend less time outdoors and more time on computers. So I want to show the youth that if an 88-year-old or a visually impaired student can parasail and be adventurous,then so can they,” Munje explains.

So,on April 2,2009,Nagesh Netke and Sushma Pawar,students of the School and Home for Blind,set Limca Records of being the first visually impaired boy and girl to do solo parasailing. “I first contacted the principals of the Blind School and they were so confident that their students could do it. The toughest thing was to train them as they can’t see what a parasail is and how they need to take flight. But they learnt so well,and even today,they call me up and talk about the experience,” he says,pride reflecting in his eyes. The School & Home for the Blind is now looking for sponsors so that they can organise a day-long activity for 30-40 students to parasail. “The equipment today is hi-tech and safe that there is virtually no risk involved. Even Chandrakala Dahare,a 20-year-old physically disabled girl,successfully parasailed under my supervision at Bavdhan Hills in May 2010,” says this confident instructor,who has trained and conducted the flights of these specially-abled students absolutely free of cost.

His next target is to give N K Mahajan,who will turn 90 in August,a 350-feet rappelling experience at the Duke’s Nose. “We’ll do this in October or November,” he reveals. As for himself,he hopes to parasail from the Leh Airport which,at 11,000 feet,is the highest airport in India. “The satisfaction that all my activities bring me is indescribable. I’m glad I’m not confined to just one activity. Adventure for me is everything; one no longer remains self-centred after this as one realises how vast the universe is,” he concludes.