India, Jan. 3 -- It was a warm summer day in Hamburg, Germany. The sun cast a warm glow over the city. My uncle and athlete Pratik Desai, was about to attempt his first Ironman Triathlon-a gruelling long-distance race involving a 3.8 km swim, a 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km marathon run, totalling 226 km. His goal was clear: to push his body to the limit and reach the finish line in record time. "When you reach that finish line, you can't help but cry," he says, recalling the exhilaration.

Desai was the picture of effortlessness. He danced with ease, and ran for miles. Desai is in every sense disciplined, spontaneous, generous, and quietly formidable. He approached life with a sense of fearlessness, humour, curiosity and calm. He, as ...