Twenty years of love and passion for cars, and the zest to give back something positive to society, motivated 42-year-old fitness enthusiast and six-national records holder, GD Vishnu Raam from Coimbatore, to hit the road and spread a message. Covering the four corners of the country in less than 256 hours got him another feather to his cap as he made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. “I feel car driving is a sport that should be popularised like any other. It was my craze for records, will to drive through extreme weather conditions and mission to make lives of the people around him better that helped me achieve this record,” says Vishnu Raam.
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The journey
With no special workouts apart from the efforts put in for the last 23 years in walking, running and cycling, the journey began on a Sunday morning (May 28, 2023) under Chennai’s hot skies. K Shankar, ADGP, Law & Order, and RV Ramya Bharathi, DIG/JC (North), flagged off the initiative from the Anna Nagar Tower. Calling himself “crazy for the record” and eager to spread awareness on educating girl children, Raam set out on the journey in his SUV. In two days, he completed the first leg of the expedition, reaching Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh.
There was a time when he drove for 36 hours at a stretch covering a total of 3,200 km with no proper rest or food. “More than any physical difficulty, the driving was mentally exhausting. All the emotions were heightened when the combination of sleep and food was lacking. It was a mix of Ilaiyaraaja’s song and other fast music that kept me going throughout,” he shares. Along the way, Raam made many memories. Driving at 110 km/hr in the wee hours through the Atal tunnel, Raam found this to be one of the smoothest paths. He calls the ride from Bhuj, Gujarat to Koteshwar, India-Pakistan border, the toughest. “There was no Internet connectivity and accessing Google Maps was difficult. Going ahead without any technical support was hard. Local police came to guide me through the remote areas,” he says.
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Result of the drive
As important as it was to track the record, it was also equally important to spread awareness through this period of travel. “All my earlier drives were for a cause, and being a father of a daughter I thought the message spread through this one should be on girl child education,” he says. The car had paintings of Dr BR Ambedkar and stickers to support the cause. “I was stopped by people in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and Pune, asking about the initiative and supporting the cause. It was different in rural areas, as I had to look out for parents and talk to them. But the mission was achieved,” he says.
Being the fastest man to cover the four corners of the country in 255 hours and 40 minutes and entering the Guinness Book of World Records, a total of Rs 6 lakh was raised through the campaign. This money has been donated to Coimbatore Corporation under the Namakku Namae scheme to help girl children in their education. The round trip ended in Chennai on June 7 at 11.40 pm. An interactive session between students interested in sports and Raam was organised at Nehru Stadium. At this event, J Meghanatha Reddy, member secretary, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, presented him with the Guinness Record Certificate. After this drive’s success, Raam is already planning his next expedition to cover all the districts of Tamil Nadu in October with the help of police to spread awareness on girl child education. Beyond these, Raam hopes to achieve many more records, drive more and conduct meaningful campaigns.
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Achievements
The maximum distance covered in a car in 24 hours from Bengaluru to Nagpur in 20 hours and 40 minutes on July 6, 2021, supporting frontline workers helping people with Covid-19.
Longest distance covered on a bicycle in 24 hours from Coimbatore to Kanyakumari in 23 hours and 53 minutes on August 8, 2021, supporting a healthier lifestyle as the fight against obesity and heart diseases.
Fastest on-road bicycling for 100 km by an individual from Coimbatore to Thrissur in 2 hours and 55 minutes on February 22, 2022, to raise awareness on 100% vaccination against Covid-19. He entered the Asia Book of Records & India Book of Records.
Fastest on-road bicycling for 100 miles (160.9 km) by an individual from Coimbatore to Salem in 4 hours and 28 minutes on March 26, 2022, to create awareness on global warming and climate change.
Fastest on-road bicycling for 1,000 km from Hyderabad International Airport to Coimbatore International Airport covering four states (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu) on August 11, 2022, for a drug-free Tamil Nadu.