Marathon man: 11,000 km in a wheelchair
Despite being in a wheelchair, one Russian hero has covered 11,000 kilometers, right across Russia, with an electric buggy to draw attention to the plight of disabled people.
It has been more than a decade since the accident that put Aleksandr Kashin in a wheel chair. An allegedly drunk American Consul General in Vladivostok was driving the car that collided with Kashin’s vehicle. Because he was a diplomat, American Douglas Kent could claim immunity.Officials back in Washington refused to waive his rights as a diplomat so Aleksander had no chance of getting redress.Alexander has been fighting for compensation ever since – to pay for his specialist care and medical expenses. Ten years after the incident he is still determined to fight: "He walked away scot-free. But I will keep on seeking justice." That is why a decade after the accident it is important to Alexander to keep his case in the public eye.Alexander's top speed is not much more than walking pace, but he has just finished a marathon of marathon proportions, driving his electric buggy 11,000 kilometers from his home to Moscow. It has been a journey of discovery."I was most surprised by the decency and generosity of our people. I never expected such help. Just imagine every set of stairs demands four people to get me up there," he says. Despite all the obstacles, he made it right to the heart of Russia. Many people along the way told him: “Go to the Kremlin, tell them how we live”, but Alexander is not the complaining kind. He strongly believes that no matter what the odds, everyone's destiny is in their own hands.
