From Road Accident to Solo Drive Across 32 Countries | Bharulata Kamble | TEDxDTSS College of Law

Key Concepts

• Courage to Begin: The central theme, defined as the internal strength to start anew after significant setbacks.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): A mental health condition triggered by a terrifying event, characterized by fear, anxiety, and avoidance.
• Self-Reliance and Internal Heroism: The realization that the power to overcome challenges lies within oneself.
• Gradual Exposure Therapy: A method of overcoming phobias by slowly and incrementally exposing oneself to the feared situation.
• Solo Driving Expeditions: Long-distance journeys undertaken alone, requiring extensive preparation and self-sufficiency.
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from adversity and adapt to challenging circumstances.

Courage to Begin: A Journey of Resilience and Self-Discovery

The speaker, a lawyer of Indian origin with dual British and Australian citizenship, shares her profound personal journey of overcoming a life-altering road traffic accident and the subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that confined her for over 1,640 days. Her talk, "Courage to Begin," emphasizes the internal strength required to restart after a major setback.

The Impact of PTSD and the Dawn of Realization

Following a severe road traffic accident, the speaker suffered from PTSD, which severely restricted her life to her home and immediate surroundings for four and a half years. Despite her orthopedic injuries healing, the internal psychological wounds were profound. The turning point came during her 55th counseling session for PTSD. She experienced a terrifying yet liberating realization: the anxiety and fear were internal. This led to the understanding that she alone possessed the courage to overcome them, recognizing herself as the "hero of her own life." This realization was a profound shake-up, as she had been managing daily life, children, and her surgeon husband's demanding schedule, but the fear of roads and driving, a lifelong passion, remained.

The Gradual Process of Reclaiming the Road

The courage to begin was not an instantaneous fix but a deliberate, step-by-step process. It started with small, seemingly insignificant actions like putting on shoes and a jacket, and then sitting in a car. Being near the car was initially terrifying, causing shaking and sweating. Her husband's support was crucial in this phase, gradually increasing the time spent in the car from 20 seconds to 5 minutes, then 20 minutes.

The next stage involved driving within her residential block in Australia. The fear of being on the road persisted, necessitating further effort. She then progressed to driving around her town. This led to the ambitious thought of driving on highways again. After many years of driving experience, she had to relearn highway driving, taking numerous lessons. This preparation took another year and a half to build confidence on highways.

The Epic UK to India Solo Drive: A Testament to Courage

The ultimate demonstration of her courage to begin was the decision to drive from the United Kingdom to India. This daunting prospect was met with skepticism from others, who questioned her ability to undertake such a journey after her accident. The speaker humorously acknowledged that "to create a history you need to be a little insane," embracing this perception.

This solo expedition spanned 32 countries, covered 35,383 kilometers in 57 days, and was completed entirely alone, without any backup crew or vehicle. The speaker highlights her self-sufficiency during this journey:

• Mechanic: She learned basic mechanic work, recognizing the impracticality of waiting for a mechanic in remote areas across 32 countries.
• Doctor: She was her own first-aid provider.

Memorable Encounters and Challenges on the Road

The journey was filled with both thrilling and touching experiences:

• Kazakhstan Desert: Driving through a landscape described as resembling the moon, she was honored by a hotel manager with a traditional Kazak hat for her unique endeavor.
• Kyrgyzstan: A very poor family insisted on sharing their meal with her, demonstrating incredible hospitality despite their limited resources.
• Chinese Border (Torugat Pass): This notorious border, closing for six months in winter, presented a significant challenge. The day she crossed, the temperature was -39°C. She had to navigate 550 kilometers to reach the pass, ascending to 15,000 feet above sea level, requiring supplemental oxygen. Her prior experience with Arctic Circle expeditions and mountain driving skills proved invaluable in narrowly avoiding several dangerous skids and potential falls into valleys.
• Chinese Customs and Immigration: Despite reviews suggesting unhelpfulness, the Chinese customs and immigration officials, located 120 kilometers down in a forest, kept their entire facility open past closing time for her. They explained their exceptional assistance by stating she was an "Asian lady, one of us, representing the entire continent," making her journey as easy as possible.

The Hero Within and the Opening of Doors

The speaker reiterates that "courage to begin can open the doors that you probably can't even imagine." She became her own hero, opening doors that once seemed impossible. She recounts heartwarming interactions, such as children in Myanmar approaching her car not to cause trouble but to say "hello friend," and a Chinese mechanic in a remote village fixing her suspension simply to shake her hand, impressed by her undertaking.

Reaching the Motherland and National Recognition

Upon reaching India, her motherland, she felt immense thrill. She received a call from the British High Commissioner in London, informing her that the Prime Minister of India would receive her in her native country. This recognition, achieved without any public relations efforts or paid promotion, was a profound validation of her journey and made up for all the pain she had endured. She describes touching the soil of India at the Myanmar-India border as a pilgrimage, a return to her origins.

A Message of Resilience and Hard Work

The speaker concludes by addressing the young students, emphasizing that there is "no substitute to hard work" and that a degree of "insanity" is needed to create history. She stands as a recognized first lady in the world for her solo driving expeditions, Arctic expeditions, non-stop driving, and winter challenges. She also mentions surviving a nasty battle with cancer, underscoring her overall resilience. Her message is one of empowerment: "you can do it if you set your heart to do it." She successfully demonstrated the "courage to begin" through her extraordinary life experiences.