In a commendable display of endurance and determination, 22-year-old Welkin Stone Shadap, a third-semester botany student of North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), completed an impressive 330km journey on foot from Itanagar to Shillong.
Shadap embarked on this remarkable adventure on September 30 from Dera Natung Government College in the Arunachal Pradesh capital and ended his journey today at NEHU.
Accompanied by his brother and friends, he traversed through challenging terrain, covering a staggering distance of 330km over eight days.
Upon his arrival at the NEHU, Shadap was greeted with thunderous applause and warm admiration from students and faculty members. RL Nongkhlaw, Dean of Students’ Welfare, felicitated the student at a special gathering.
This feat is not Shadap’s first. He already holds the Asia Book of Record for completing a 101.54km walk in a day from Mawiongrim to Sohryngkham, East Khasi Hills, and from there to Saiden in Ri-Bhoi on January 26, 2023.
Speaking to reporters after completing his latest feat he said that the aim was to complete 380km but he could do only 330km since it was very hot in Assam.
Shadap added that the purpose of his walkathon was to create awareness among the youths of the negative impact of drugs.
In his message he said that people should take to activities that are positive and not be drawn into destructive drug addiction.
Speaking about his love of walking, Shadap said that his passion started early.
“We were tired of always taking the same routes. Therefore, we thought of trying other places and in our quest we began to take longer routes and in the meantime we broke the Asian record last year. Then we thought of walking from Itanagar to Shillong to spread awareness against the menace of drugs,” he added.
The plan to walk from Itanagar to Shillong had been brewing for over a year but he was only able to make a go of it now thanks to the encouragement of his friends and family.
Shadap wants to walk to other places in the North East and has invited others to join him. He informed that he has been invited to walk to create awareness on blood cancer and to register themselves to know their RH of blood stem cells and become donors.
He also said that the Sports and Youth Affairs Department has supported him financially and private businesses gave him shoes and clothes to wear during his walk.
The youth also said that he received a lot of support from the people of Arunachal Pradesh even as he made a special mention of Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar who welcomed him to the college.
Welkin Stone is also aiming to dislodge the World Record of walking 35,000km.
“If opportunity opens up for me I would like to break this record by walking 40,000km in four years,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prof Suman Kumari, Head of the Department of Botany at NEHU, said that the university is proud of Shadap’s feat.
