Meet Iron man, saviour, karmveer – Praveen tewatia.

Let’s meet Iron man & karmveer – Praveen Tewatia. A true inspiration, Shaurya Chakra and former Marine commando. A braveheart who took four bullets during the 26/11 Mumbai operation in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai in November 2008. The bullet hit the Chest, lung, Ribs and in the ear, he became partially hearing impaired, and his right side lung was completely damaged.

In spite of injuries and bullet hit he saved the lives of 150 people on the attack day. His story is a motivation to never give up on your dreams and ambitions. And he stands true to his title of Iron Man & Karmveer – Praveen Tewatia.

The journey so far…

After being given a non-active duty job by the Navy, as according to navy orders 5% of battlefield casualties can continue in service, Teotia was reassigned to the rank of petty officer.  But he didn’t want the desk job and knew he couldn’t be a commando again.  Parveen wanted to prove that he was still fit for service, and began participating in marathons. He later applied for a mountaineering expedition, but again was rejected on medical grounds. He was determined not to lose hope and to prove his fitness. With the help of the supportive staff of the Taj Hotel, he met marathon runner Pervin Batliwala. He later encouraged and trained him for long-distance runs.

A winner and Pride of Bharat

His training began in 2014 and the following year he ran the Mumbai Half Marathon. Further, he ran the Indian Navy Half Marathon in 2016 and 2017. Alongside, He participated in the Half Iron Man Triathlon in Jaipur in which he had to swim 1.9 km, cycle 90 km and run 21 km. In addition, he took up the Khardung La Challenge and ran at altitudes higher than 18,380 ft. On September 9, despite a damaged lung, he participated in the grueling 72km-long marathon in Ladakh, finished well in time earning a medal.

Parveen has proved his mettle, once while fighting the terrorists and then again while overcoming all the hardships that came in the way of his dreams. He has earned the Ironman title after winning the prestigious Ironman Triathlon Championship 2018 in South Africa.

A special human from the MARCOS unit who saved 150 lives during the 26/11 attack and the incredible valor he showed is beyond words. Shot through the chest, and on the head, he survived and then became Iron Champion in the disabled category. “PRIDE OF BHARAT”

here are many unsung real-life champions who have helped or contributed towards the betterment of our society. Let’s learn from them and be a helping hand.

This is part of my Positive Humans series I have been writing about people who are an inspiration, and motivation with their attitude of gratitude and ever helping nature. To meet such motivational humans click and read here.

Linking this post with WATWB

This post is part of the #WATWB We Are the World Blogfest, a monthly event created by Damyanti Biswas and Belinda Witzenhausen to showcase stories of hope and light. “We Are the World Blogfest” which seeks to promote positive news. Sharing these stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world. My co-hosts for this month are Shilpa Garg, Simon Falk, Damyanti Biswas, Lizbeth Hartz, and Eric Lahti.

To read more such positive human stories click here