Associate Director-CyberSecurity with an MNC with passion for Fitness and community service. Founder Trustee -Guide Runners India, a Registered Trust. International Yoga Alliance - Certified Yoga Teacher. Formerly-Champion Runners coach-Skechers, Running Coach at Cure.fit. She was profiled as GameChangers2017 an elite list of 21 women across world. Six star world marathon majors finisher * and *profiled by world marathon majors who credited her with sparking a revolution in women’s running in India.
GuideRunnersIndia is a registered Trust and Trademark. Shoe drive and Guide running project is supported by a large pool of volunteers/ Guide runners from the corporate and running community on an ongoing basis across various cities based on training and event participation calendar.
Our upcoming events are Bengaluru 10K Challenge July 2024 Mumbai Marathon 25August 2024 Chennai Marathon 15 September 2024 Hyderabad Half Marathon 10 November 2024
This includes many activities and the volunteers can meet at a training location on Sundays. Please contact Bhumika 9845018103
Participating in Training run/walk Handling calls from shoes donors Coordinating shoe pick up/drop off Phone/Email response to corporate enquiries for participation shoe size requirement gathering from visuallyimpaired Sorting the donations for shoes with good mileage Shoe laundry for gently used shoe donations Shoe fitment check at training locations
It was a tough week as I lost my aunt to cancer. But a memorable birthday and a race with a winning position in 3km, a team of 100+ Visuallyimpaired girls with guides+support team..totally 220+ enrolled for weekly trainings and then the race on Dec 15th !
Not just a regular event overall, the guide and Visuallyimpaired meetup started early by 3pm on 14th Dec. There was a technique session, song and dance , achievers were rewarded with running gear, both guides and Visuallyimpaired athletes. This coincided with my birthday 🎂 and we had celebrations of all the birthdays and anniversary of that month. There was cake and vada pav, lots of chocolates and gifts. 💐
Many guides stayed back for overnight stay together with Visuallyimpaired at Worli sea face venue. Post dinner we went for a walk along sea face and it was all our masti time.
Being blessed with good team members is what turns out to be a boon for me in every event. We had a very gala flag off by Milind Soman for each of the 3categories of race 3k, 5k and 10km!
I found myself on the podium with the superfast visuallyimpaired Sarita in the 3k category! I felt very happy I could guide her to win!
Overall it was a blend of fun, enjoyment and achievement!
Really appreciate the hardwork put in by my team – Sucheta, Bharath, Abhay, Anand, Abhilash for coordination since 3 months prior to event.
Suju, Lipika, Prochy, Vidya, Rajesh D’Souza and Milind Soman -USF team for constant support.
And all who helped a lot to carry this event successfully, there are many. Congratulations and Thank you 🙏
Bhumika Patel and her enablement team led by location Lead Ambassador Shradha Dalvi celebrated Pinkathon Day 2019 at Pune, Ghorpadi location.
The event was not less than a carnival with specially Abled boys and girls having participated wholeheartedly. Bhumika Patel and her team always celebrate this special day with the visually impaired and specially abled in order to honour and promote the power of inclusion. Every human being with any kind of disability has the right to fitness, has the right to participate in marathons and thus has the right to be included in every relevant celebration’ is what Bhumika and her team strongly believes in.
Bhumika Pate’s 3 teams across 3 cities have taken the lead this year for a unique Pinkathon Day celebration termed as ‘See From The Heart’ Pinkathon Day. These trainings have been an initiative on-going since a year by Bhumika Patel and her enablement team in different cities.
Happy to announce a new addition Pinkathon Day ‘See From The Heart’ to promote inclusion of specially abled people. This year 3 cities namely Bengaluru (Cubbon), Mumbai (BKC) and Pune (Ghorpadi) have taken the lead and participate in this worldwide celebration.
On Oct 19th, Mumbai BKC had an an exclusive session for Visually impaired runners at Mumbai with the Sports doctor Dr. Eshwar part of the expert team joining Bhumika along with runners from mumbai as Guides !
There was great support Suju Vidya Terence, Bharathudu, Amit & team.
On Sunday Oct 20th 2019,we celebrated the 2nd edition of Pinkathon Day in Bengaluru.We are Happy to announce a new addition #PinkathonDay ‘See From The Heart’ to promote inclusion of specially abled people. This year 3 cities namely Bengaluru (Cubbon), Mumbai (BKC) and Pune (Ghorpadi) have taken the lead and participate in this worldwide celebration.
Bengaluru Celebrations:
We had the SpeciallyAbled and VisuallyImpaired girls as apart of the celebrations.
We had sari draping, to show that a dress can never stop us from running.
The victors group is a group of survivors put up an exhibition of their paintings. It’s a must see. They do fabric painting, canvas painting, kalamkari painting etc. They also make artistic thread and beads jewellery.
Manoranjini did an awesome Zumba
The Cubbon and Lalbagh training girls Vandana, Vasanthi, Kanti, Savita, Anita and team presented contemporary dance coreographed by Rithvik.
Visually impaired athletes…joined us from far and near. We felicitated their achievements.
A fusion dance performance by the Bannerghatta girls Swati, Rajlaxmi, Manisha, Kiran, Pavana, Vijaya and Shilpa.
Group dance by the Basaveshwarnagar training girls. They are doing a mashup of 5 language songs to convey unity in diversity in India.
Dr Ashu and survivors of Myshah foundation joined us.
We had cake cutting to mark the momentous occasion.
Thanks to Kajol bhatia and team for enthusiatic pariticipation.
Special thanks to Running Lab for sponsoring the breakfast.
Thanks to all who came volunteered and encouraged the team of specially Abled and guide runner
Boston Qualification!! 3 Bangalore visually impaired have qualified under Adaptive Program with fastest finisher with sensational 3h 17 min full marathon. You have a look at the glimpses of performances of the visually impaired from AFMC Marathon 2019, Pune and you will see how triumph goes down on its knees salute determination. 3 cities Mumbai, Pune,Bengaluru..23 visually impaired, 27 guide runners and their strength!!! A superbly organised event, extremely cooperative team of organisers.
2 Workshops conducted for Mumbai before start of trainings, some of vi had done half marathons already and Bengaluru vi have been training for 3 yrs in ultra distance.
Pune and Mumbai Guide Runners were taught techniques through workshops and pre -race meet up
Our team expert sports doctor Dr Eshwar provided the recommendation on exercises during training. Dr Ashu, Dr Jayshree from Apollo and other doctors in the team, helped with medical and nutritional support.
Pic: Mumbai – Running workshop 2 in August
My team was blessed enough to have NEB team supporting with the specially designed running gear, bib distribution and infinite other support.
IBM team Meghna, Jey, Zeba, Vinay and team thank you. Shraddha , Sucheta thank you for support.2GoActivewear for gear support 🙏 As a result, my team tasted great success. The Mumbai visually impaired Penav Mota and Hemendra Pratap Singh did their maiden full marathons with AFMC Pune after several months of training. An outstanding example of team work set by the volunteers, guides and the visually impaired!!! The list of visually impaired who attempted and finished the AFMC Marathon 2019 are as under:
1. VI Bhaskar -Guide Avinash Mane – Full Marathon
2. VI Kavya -Guide Meghna – Full Marathon
3. VI Nandeesha – Guide Amit – Full Marathon
4. VI Ramesh – Guide Venkatesh N – Full Marathon
5. VI Hemendra Singh- Ashok – Full Marathon
6. VI Penav Mota-Guide Bhumika Patel/ Jagdish Ramakrishna-Full marathon
7. VI Ajay – Guides Sunket/Dhanunjaya – Full Marathon
8. VI Praveen Bhosale- Guide Rajesh D’souza-Half Marathon
9. VI Sunitha – Guide Sandeep Bahot – Half Marathon
What can be called an ‘Accomplished Meet’? It’s at the Quarterly meet, when you have many satisfied faces, it’s when you announce the achievements of the year with great pride, it’s when the participants are awarded and appreciated for their achievements….
All Hands Meet 2019 was one such function with the Bhumika’s Training Team , cancer shero, care givers, visually impaired and sighted guide runners, held at the Eagle Ridge Resort in Begur, Bengaluru on 1st June 2019. It was the 4th year anniversary of trainings for girls. It was an amalgamation of a formal annual review meeting and an informal anniversary celebration where the leads of various locations had come together in person to share their updates of the year.
The meet started with a question and answer session by Dr. Eshwar who is a sports doctor from California, followed by the formal inauguration. As the objective of the meet was, the leads from various locations of Mumbai, Pune, Vizag, Delhi attended the function through a web conference and updated their location progress.
Head Coach of the Training girls, Bhumika Patel wonderfully hosted the event. The awards to the achievers of the years were given away by the eminent personalities from the marathon running sphere like Praveen Shetty, Asima Sultana. The veteran runner, cancer survivor and the active participant Uma Pai cheered up the atmosphere with her speech. Cult fitness was represented by one of their senior members who spoke about a fruitful partnership for supporting the visually impaired training initiative.
A team of cancer survivors from Myshah Foundation arrived and delivered touching but inspiring stories about their fight with cancer. The function was graced by Pragya Prasun, acid attack survivor and Nari Shakti Award winner. Pragya runs an NGO- Atijeevan Foundation that helps acid attack survivors become economically independent.
The function was a huge success, not to mention the partying and the games the training girls enjoyed after the formal function was done.
In July 2018, 15 visually impaired runners were selected from among 25 to train for the half and the full marathon on Oct 21th at Bengaluru. We started taking the necessary steps in a jiffy like conducting their blood tests, their physical assessments, planning out their workout regimen and diet charts as per their report analyses. Me and Milind already knew their grit and after witnessing their enthusiasm and achievements and in early 2018 decided that the runners who complete the full marathon will be trained for the SOP run from Mysuru to Bengaluru which is roughly 145 km. What happened in the 6 months of training, is something I will treasure for a lifetime. The guide team and the doctors kept on their toes to make sure the runners complete the runs as per plan, free of any pain or injury. There were moments of fun, laughter, pain, difficulties.
The tough times always started from bringing the visually impaired to a central venue in the morning wee hours, three to four times a week.
It was astonishing to see how the girls and boys actively attended trainings and later then their office/college with the same amount of enthusiasm. On October 21, 2018, History was created as India Book of Records awarded a certificate to 23 year old visually impaired girl Suneetha N D, who became the first visually impaired girl in India to finish a full marathon (42.2km)
Overcoming every obstacle and difficulty my visually impaired athletes made it easily to the finishing venue on the said date and time, conquering 145 km in 3 days, and their ever shining smile which did not fade a single day of the run, was even more broad at the finish line.
Pinkathon Bengaluru Press Meeet Nov 2018
I trusted the trainings, I trusted my guide runners and I trusted the strength of these 6 athletes. But all of our potential was really put to the test in these 3 days. The start went as planned… The flag off by Rajmata Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, the weather cooperated so well for us to maintain a good pace in the morning hours. On day 1 we covered a distance of 53 km though we had planned for 59. One of our athletes had a cramp in her leg and we had to wrap up early.
The challenge was tough on the next day to finish the target as well as those 6 km of the previous day.
But my trust on the team really paid off the next day when they showed outstanding strength and finished 57 km. Every 2-3 hrs during the course, we had physiotherapy stretching, which kept us going. I was beginning to develop shin pain on the right leg with some swelling, but it healed with regular icing. And final day it became very easy since all had the curiosity to reach finish line and welcome party! I was so overwhelmed at the love that people have us enroute.
The Pinkathon training girls joining to cheer enroute, felicitations by Paralympic committee and Prerna trust for blind, the media coverage, the Doordarshan coverage, Felicitation by Bengaluru University Vice chancellor, the 3 days was full with events and we felt very pampered by the attention.
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The entire group was so chirpy, so cooperative , so helpful for these 3 days that it made tough times so easy going. This was the first ultra run for me and my entire team of Visually impaired and guide runners and I am glad we finished it successfully with the help of structured training and team work!
There were a lot many write ups, news articles, videos and interviews posted on various platforms about this event which happened from 23rd to 25th January 2019.I was stupefied by the tremendous love and appreciation by the country. Karnataka Olympic Association for the reward and the department of youth services rewarded the athletes at the finish line!
And thank you Pinkathon and Milind Soman for a grand commendation. Their generous gesture will be a prime motivation not only for them but also for numerous athletes pursuing their dreams in sports.
Blog by : Dr. Bhumika Patel, Associtate Director CyberSecurity at an MNC and Six Star World Marathon Majors Finisher
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Boston Marathon 2019…an incredible experience… for each one who attempted. Out of the 9 International Full Marathons I completed since 2015…. this was the most enriching episode in my running journey, since this was my first international marathon as an official guide runner, and more so because it was to Erich Manser, my fellow IBMer and fellow marathoner.
I was just recovering from my first ultra – marathon 145 km, with shin injury after me, where 6 of my visually impaired mentees successfully finished the run in January this year, when I received the confirmation about the Boston marathon guide running. Nervousness clouded me soon after the confirmation, but I took up the challenge realizing that this will be the most important milestone in my guide running experience and for bringing home more awareness in this area. I have mentored a number of visually impaired athletes and their guides for long distance running and simultaneously have run many races as a guide runner myself. But this race event was and will always be a special one. After all this was the world renowned Boston Marathon and also I knew Erich not only as a fellow IBMer, but as the World Champion Iron man and my excitement was at its peak since the day I registered as official sighted guide.
Like Erich already quoted in his blog, yes we were those virtual friends of the Hi – Hello kind, meeting online occasionally over work. But when Erich learnt about my initiatives of mentoring the visually impaired and sighted guides in Bangalore, my volunteering as a Head Coach Pinkathon Training, Samarthanam Trust to the Disabled and Mitra Jyothi Institute for the Blind,for supporting the underprivileged as a part of ‘See from the Heart’ initiative, he regularly lent his invaluable advice in all my endeavours. We occasionally had telephonic discussions about how to exploit technology for accessibility. The pieces of advice from Erich have always been so priceless for he has his own set of experiences as a Technology savvy marathon runner and therefore has so much of cognizance to share.
I met Erich face to face for the first time in Boston when we picked up the race kit.
Guide Bib
Impage:Athletes with Disability Bib pickup
Guide and Blind Bib collection with Erich
We did the Shakeout run a day before race and we gelled together so quickly. During the run we discussed preferred usage of tether. By using a tether – a short hooped cord – both runners are connected at the hand to negotiate the course.
Image: Tether with a cane
We also discussed that the run will be at conversation pace. Other things included race day weather and gear, water station stops, adjustments to the tether and about how to carry out effective communication during the run, how to deal with crowded sections of the run etc.
Image: Guide running with Erich at Shakeout Run
I further got to spend more time with him and the other athletes at a team dinner and team brunch organized by ‘Team With A Vision’
It was a marathon information session as well as stage for the other athletes to share their previous race experiences. We were given tips on race, guide running and logistics. The heart- warming get-together helped clear pre-race doubts and fears.
The transport arrangements to the venue, special temperature controlled area at the start point, the post – race bags pickup and arrangements at VIP tent; IBM and NBC media representatives to interview us at finish line,’Team With A Vision’ volunteers to guide, every arrangement so orderly.
I knew last year was extreme weather with rain and severe cold and it made me more nervous to see forecast had showers again this year. My acclimatization runs in Boston prior to the race, helped me get settled in. Being prone to cough and cold, I took special precaution with intake of immunity boosters like vit c etc. Prior to the race, I did a marathon bus tour to familiarize myself with the route.and prepared for the changing weather conditions, with water resistant as well as cold resistant running gear.
Two day prior to full marathon, enjoyed a rainy weather Boston 5K with my daughter and husband.
The route and the weather during the Boston Marathon really made the run more arduous, but I could clearly see how prepared Erich was. The tough ascents, mercurial weather with rain at the outset followed by hot sun and later thunderstorms did not seem to affect him at all. Though the rains in the last few kilometres masked the sweltering heat, the steep ascents were difficult for me. Hills are a total ‘No No’ for me when it comes to the latter part of a race. But as Erich and I had discussed earlier, we took a conservative approach and slowed down. The Heartbreak hill ascent after 25 km was darn cruel on the quads, but Erich motivated me and I overcame the difficulty. Later when Erich encountered fatigue after mile 23, it was my turn to encourage him. Thus with good mutual rhythm we pulled through the tough route and picked up pace near the finish line. Chatting all the way, cracking jokes and boosted up by the crowds and fellow runners cheering, “Team Vision go! ““Erich and Bhumika, you guys rock!!!” all the way through the route, my family and friends from India cheered loud close to finish line, made our finish so easy but emotional.
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In my years of training the visually impaired and running as a guide to them, there have been numerous anecdotes to tell, numerous incidents, happenings. But none of them can beat the fantastic experience of Boston marathon. Running apart, there was great encouragement from my workplace IBM and colleagues across the world sent amazing messages of support.It was a great learning experience. I have been reading Erich’s blog about his experiences at the Boston Marathon over and over again; he ends it with citing and I too would reiterate the same, “Kindness is a very powerful thing. Though we are from very different places, we will now be forever joined by kindness”.
Media References:
Congratulations to two inspiring IBMers: @TeamWithAVision member, world-class blind athlete and world record holder @ErichManser, who ran his 10th #BostonMarathon yesterday alongside his sighted guide @BhumikaRunner, who has mentored hundreds of visually impaired girls in India. pic.twitter.com/NpVwMj59Fx
Empowering VisuallyImpaired & Beyond 