Joel Kumar is cycling up the East coast, exploring and spreading the message of sustainable living

When he set out from his home in Thoothukudi in August this year, he had just one goal in mind — to cycle along India’s East coast, right up to the North East, to explore sustainable living. Four months down the line, Joel Kumar, a former research associate with Centre for Science and Environment, has paused in Chennai to give talks and lectures to schools and corporates about their immediate environment and sustainable living.

“Well, it was supposed to be a pit-stop before I proceeded to towns in Andhra Pradesh. But since I have no set itinerary, I decided to also utilise this time to talk to people and spread awareness about the environment. The idea came about when I made similar stops on my journey here from Thoothukudi, at places like Rameswaram, Vedaranyam and Tiruvannamalai. At all these places, I had the opportunity to talk at schools about environment and fitness, and I saw how instantly people connected with the topics,” he says. Giving talks at corporates is also a way to fund his trip, he says.

Joel, who’d worked at CSE for a few years before quitting in 2014, had initially planned on pursuing higher studies and writing his GRE. “But I also happened to travel in the interim period, one of the places being the Andamans. It was during this period that I learnt about marine conservation, sustainability and renewable energy.

Around the same time, I happened to speak to a friend who’d spent three months cycling around Japan. That got me thinking and I decided to explore this option to travel the country, learn more about it and spread the word about sustainability,” he says.

That led to him buying his all-terrain Surly bicycle in October 2015, and begin practising long-distance cycling back in his home town. “A friend of mine, who’d travelled extensively in Europe and has good knowledge on fitness, guided me. I trained for six months and it taught me not to ride for speed, but to sustain through the ride. And finally, in August, I kick-started my journey with a load of almost 25 kgs,” he says, adding, “I’m trying to shed the weight a bit, but I’m also trying to be self-sufficient on this trip. So my luggage has camping material, a portable stove and supplies for me to cook meals wherever I can.” He is also carrying his violin, so he can practise wherever he can. “I didn’t want to give up on my practice, since I’m just learning.”

Along the way, he met a lot of locals who were curious to see him cycling along the coast. “These are people who cycle every day to commute. When I spoke to them about fitness and the environment, they were thrilled to know they were doing something right,” explains Joel.

Joel says that he’s keeping things flexible, so he can stop on the way to explore opportunities. The journey so far has been interesting, he says. “From sleeping in temples and churches to camping on the way wherever possible, I’ve done it all. I’m also using this time to volunteer with NGOs that work on sustainable projects, and of course, speak to children about their local environment.”

At the end of the day, he says, “My goal is my personal journey. I want to better understand sustainability, meet conservationists, understand the geography of India and spread awareness about sustainable projects happening in our own backyards.”

Joel’s journey can be followed on his blog www.freedomisonthesaddle.wordpress.com