Indian Navy's Heroic Solo Sailor I No Food, No Water, Near Death I Abhilash Tomy I Barkha Dutt

Commander Abhilash Tomy (Retd), speaks to Barkha Dutt in the 44th episode of our podcast, 'Inside Out with Barkha Dutt'. Commander Abhilash Tomy, KC, NM (Retd) is a retired Indian Navy officer, naval aviator and yachtsman. In 2013, he became the first Indian to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world under sail. In 2018, Commander Tomy participated in the same Golden Globe Race. His boat was caught in a violent storm in the Indian Ocean which sadly, injured him and left him with a broken spine. He went through a spine surgery the same year which involved fusing 5 vertebrae and inserting two titanium rods. Thereafter, he taught himself to walk and then sail! But instead of deterring his spirit, wining the Global Race became his life’s only mission. In January 2019, he quit the Indian Navy and started training yet again. He finished second in the race, becoming the only Asian skipper to win a podium finish in a round the world race.