One man, 5,000 km, one mission: running to rewrite the narrative on leprosy

Running for change: Young athlete covers 1,520 km to aid marginalised children

Young Indian-Australian athlete Om Satija reached Visakhapatnam on Monday (March 2) as part of his ambitious 5,000-km cross-country run aimed at inspiring youth and supporting marginalised children.

The 23-year-old commenced his journey from Kanyakumari on January 26 and has covered 1,520 km in a little over a month. He plans to conclude the run in Srinagar by mid-May.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Om said he starts his run at 4.30 a.m. every day and covers an average of 50 km a day. His target is to raise ₹60 lakh for Udayan Foundation, Kolkata, which works for the welfare of children from marginalised and leprosy-affected communities.

Recalling a childhood experience that shaped his mission, he said that during a visit to India in his school days, his father took him to Ram Jhula in Rishikesh, where they distributed blankets to the needy. It was there that he saw a person afflicted by leprosy for the first time, an incident that left a deep impact on him.

The One India Run seeks to encourage young people to believe that fitness, dreaming big, and taking initiative can be powerful tools for social change. Though leprosy is a curable disease, it continues to carry stigma in India. More than one lakh new cases were recorded in 2024, and over 800 colonies across the country still house families facing discrimination and exclusion. Udayan Foundation provides residential care and education to children from leprosy-impacted families.

Mr. Om aims to raise $20 per km through the run and donate the proceeds towards the education of children from marginalised communities. He has already raised nearly ₹20 lakh and expressed confidence of achieving the ₹60 lakh target.