81-year-old Sivasankara Pillai of Thengamam riding his bicycle. Photo: Manorama.
Adoor: Having started cycling at the age of 12, 81-year-old Sivasankara Pillai from Pathanamthitta shows no signs of giving up this lifelong habit. Despite some health issues, he continues to pedal around on his bicycle daily.
He regularly rides to the Thengamam Market Junction, located 2 kilometres away, and to the Tottuva Family Health Centre, 3 kilometres from his home, to collect medicines. Due to health considerations, he limits his bicycle trips to within 5 kilometres nowadays.
In his early days, Sivasankara used to rent bicycles for just 2 annas. Later, he bought his own bicycle and has since relied on it for most of his trips. The longest distance he has cycled was a 30-kilometre journey from Thengamam to Panmana near Chavara.
His original bicycle, purchased 30 years ago, eventually became unusable, and he has been riding a new bicycle for the past four years. Sivasankara Pillai says he is determined to continue cycling as long as his health allows.
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