A 73-year-old Sikh man has been inspired by Captain Tom Moore to fundraise for NHS staff amid the coronavirus outbreak after consistent reports of a shortage of Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) and testing kits. Now, Rajinder Singh from Berkshire, Southern England has drawn inspiration from the World War II veteran, to “skip” his lockdown days to fundraise £14k for the NHS frontline workers.
“I want to be able to help the NHS in saving lives while they put their lives to risk and treat those positive of coronavirus. For this, I have started doing five-minute skipping sessions every day in the lockdown. I am not an expert but from a very young age, my father taught me to live a disciplined life with running sessions and following a strict diet. Today, honestly it's like running three kilometers. Just skipping inside your house or in your garden. You don't even need trainers, just a rope and be careful not to hurt yourself, sprain your ankle in the process," said Singh.
With the help of his daughter Minreet, Singh has been uploading short videos where he is seen performing various activities across social media platforms from the handle "the skipping Sikh".He has also been working on his strength by lifting heavy watering cans and sprinting through his allotment. Additionally, he has engaged himself in gardening and following an organically nutritious diet. As Asian Voice went to print, Singh informed us that he had fundraised about £8k off his target of £14k following the journey of Captain Tom Moore who has raised over $23 million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden. Speaking about the fortunes of having access to a garden, Singh said,
"We are fortunate to have gardens in our backyard and all this combined has helped us maintain our physical and mental strength. Not everyone is as fortunate. We can't go running. We can't get together so we have to do it in the house and obey the government’s guidelines around social distancing. Help others and help yourself by not spreading this thing," he re-enforced.
Speaking about the inspiring Sewa and contributions of his father Minreet Kaur said,
“I am proud of my dad because he is a role model who has inspired many worldwide. He is doing selfless Sewa (volunteering) to help others, he isn't taking anyone's donations to support him, but he simply wants to give back and his story has travelled the world and as a Sikh man who stands out because he is unique and in a good way he has made a huge difference in lives, people are motivated and inspired by him.
“We can all learn something from my dad, he doesn't help others to want anything back. If we can all lend a helping hand to someone, the world would be in a better place. Life is short and do your good because it costs nothing to put a smile on someone's face.
