World · North America · 11 hrs ago
Jyoti Kumari says promised support after her 2020 bike ride never came
In 2020, during India’s COVID lockdown, 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari cycled about 700 miles from Gurugram to her village in Bihar with her injured father, Mohan Paswan, riding behind her.
Public transport had been shut down, and the family was running out of money for food and rent.
Her ride brought international attention and promises of financial help, education support and cycling training.
Now 22, Kumari says many of those promises were not kept.
Her family used reward money they did receive to make their house livable, adding a toilet, a bathroom and running water.
Her father died of a heart attack in May 2021, and she says the family’s financial security has been precarious since then.
The improved home gives the family a more stable place to build their lives, but Kumari says life remains hard.
Jyoti Kumari says politicians’ promises of money for her sport or education after her 2020 bicycle ride were not fulfilled.
At 15, she cycled more than 700 miles over seven days, carrying her injured father from Gurugram to their village in Bihar.
The family used reward money they did receive to make their house livable, including adding a toilet, bathroom and running water.
Her father, Mohan Paswan, died of a heart attack in May 2021.
Kumari, now 22, told NPR that life remains hard.
- Who
- Jyoti Kumari, who became known for cycling with her injured father.
- What
- She says politicians’ promises of support for her sport or education were not fulfilled.
- When
- The ride took place in 2020; Kumari spoke to NPR in 2026.
- Where
- She rode from Gurugram to her village of Sirhulli in Bihar, India.
- Why
- She says she undertook the ride to bring her injured father home when public transport was shut down during the pandemic lockdown.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The politicians who made promises, saying they would give money for my sports or education — nobody actually gave anything.
Now — life is hard,
Whatever reward money we collected back then [from individuals who extended help and a government award that came with a cash prize], we put it all into our house, rebuilding it.
At age 15, Kumari cycled for seven days with her injured father from Gurugram to their village in Bihar.
Mohan Paswan died of a heart attack.
Kumari told NPR that promised support for her sport or education had not materialized.
- Age during ride
- 15
- Distance
- More than 700 miles
- Ride duration
- Seven consecutive days
- Destination
- Sirhulli, Bihar
- Father
- Mohan Paswan, died in May 2021
- House improvements
- Toilet, bathroom and running water connection
Sources
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